By Our Reporter
A cunning drug smuggling syndicate of four men was busted with a massive shipment of cough syrup worth $25 000 from South Africa with fake funeral documents and an empty coffin.
Their plan was foiled by alert police at roadblock on March 6 at the 110km peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway.
The suspects, identified as Charles Bhebhe (the driver), James Sibanda, Nevson Nhamo, and Sifelane Nkiwane, appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Arafat Khozanai on March 8 where Bhebhe pleaded guilty and exonerated his co-accused.
The other three denied the charges and they were released while Bhebhe was remanded in custody and is expected to appear in court today (March 10) for continuation of trial.
The four were traveling in a white commuter omnibus towing a trailer branded with Clairmont Funeral Parlour stickers. When stopped at the police checkpoint, they presented a fake burial order in an attempt to avoid a search.
However, when officers inspected the trailer, they found an empty coffin. A thorough search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of cough syrups stashed under the seats and some under the empty coffin.
The recovered drugs included 2,400 bottles of Benylin cough syrup, 2,250 bottles of Broncleer cough syrup, 480 bottles of Astrapain cough syrup, and 100 bottles of Adco-Salterpyn cough syrup. Authorities seized the drugs, vehicle, trailer, burial order, and empty coffin as evidence.
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