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Crime Reporter
FOUR foreigners have been arrested in Beitbridge on allegations of smuggling into South Africa pharmaceutical drugs through an illegal crossing point along Limpopo River as police continue targeting smugglers and border jumpers.

The four, three from DRC and a Tanzanian, were arrested last week by officers on patrol.

Police then recovered several types of drugs and six stones suspected to be minerals.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest and said the suspects were still assisting with investigations.

“The ZRP confirms the arrest of four foreign nationals on May 11, 2022 for possession of illegal pharmaceutical drugs at Pande 2, Beitbridge. The suspects who include three Democratic Republic of Congo nationals and one Tanzanian were trying to cross Limpopo River into South Africa.

“Police recovered five boxes with biunique, three boxes of amoxicillin, five boxes of ibucap, 10 boxes loaded with c4 drugs, 10 boxes of cypomex, four packs of ongaspies, 84x310ml energy drinks, one box of relief tablets, one box with vanilla sugar, one box with kifarm 100 tablets, one box of cofo anti-mosquito, five 100ml bottle cypomex, two boxes of comprimido and six suspected precious stones,” he said.

The drugs have since been confiscated pending investigations.

Meanwhile, last Thursday, police in Harare arrested 34 suspects for smoking mbanje and unlawful possession of dangerous drugs at Matute Flats in Mbare and Copacabana areas in the CBD.

Police recovered 36x100ml of Broncleer Cough Syrup approximately valued at $45 000.

Apart from hard drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth that are being abused by the youths, authorities have raised concern over the uptake of non-conventional substances including powder from lamps, burning and sniffing of disposable nappies among others.

The country is battling with an increase in substance abuse and President Mnangagwa recently launched the National Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Campaign.

Authorities in psychiatric hospitals such as Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo have previously revealed that most youths are admitted at the facilities due to drug abuse.