POLICE in Matabeleland South province intercepted a haulage truck loaded with smuggled drugs along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway.
In a statement, police said they arrested the driver, Chenjerai Mushonga (43), and a woman named Kawenga Noreen Samantha for illegal possession of the drugs.
Police said the truck was intercepted on September 11 by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department Drugs and Narcotics in Beitbridge.
“On September 11, Detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics, Beitbridge intercepted a haulage truck at the 80 kilometre peg along Beitbridge-Masvingo Road and arrested the truck driver, Mushonga, for unlawful possession of a contraband of 99 boxes of 30x100ml Astra Pain cough syrup, 60 boxes of 50x 100ml Bron Cleer cough syrup and 24 boxes of 48x100ml Benylin cough syrup,” the statement read.
“Meanwhile, Noreen Samatha was arrested on September 11 at the 60 kilometre peg along Beitbridge-Masvingo road for unlawful possession of 300x100ml bottles of Bron Cleer cough syrup and 300x100ml of Asra Pain cough syrup.”
The report comes at a time when Zimbabwe is experiencing a proliferation of drug and substance abuse, with some top officials in the echelons of power being fingered as behind the smuggling of drugs into the country.
Last week, nine Chinese nationals were fined US$150 each after being found in possession of cocaine, a development that has sparked controversy, with society complaining that the sentence is not deterrent.
As of last year in August, a Development Aid report stated that Zimbabwe is in the grip of a devastating drug abuse epidemic that has left thousands of young people addicted and vulnerable.
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The report stated that the crisis has spiralled out of control, with streets and homeless shelters filled with individuals who are struggling with substance abuse.
The report further noted that in Harare, the most commonly used drugs and substances are crystal meth and Bron Cleer cough syrup.
