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Crime Reporter
Police have arrested a Harare woman for allegedly selling Broncleer, a cough syrup with high alcoholic content and widely abused by low-income imbibers. Jesseline Mamombe (44) was arrested after a tip-off that she was supplying the cough syrup to drug abusers in Warren Park. National police deputy spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said a raid of Mamombe’s house led to the discovery of two 100ml bottles of Broncleer stashed under a pillow.

In December police arrested three suspected drug dealers in Southerton, Harare and seized Broncleer with an estimated street value of US$20 000.

The syrup is commonly known as “Bronco’’ and is a prescription medicine syrup used to treat coughs, chest congestion and stuffy noses caused by the common cold, hay fever, or other breathing illnesses. It is largely imported from South Africa.

Abuse of prescription drugs and pills is on the increase amongst youths in Harare.

In pharmacies a 100ml bottle of Broncleer costs between US$4 and US$5, but on the streets it is being sold for only US$3 per 100ml.