A 24-YEAR-OLD Murewa bus conductor was yesterday slapped with a 20-day jail sentence or alternatively pay a $100 fine for smuggling 55 bottles of Broncleer cough syrup from Namibia.
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Knowledge Tongerai, of Chingara village under Chief Mangwende, was sentenced on his own plea when he appeared before Hwange magistrate Portia Mhlanga charged with possession of unregistered medicine in contravention of the Medical and Allied Substances Control Act.
The heard that on Saturday, Chingara was aboard a bus which was stopped by police officers and soldiers at a roadblock about five kilometres from Hwange town.
State security agents discovered 55 bottles of Broncleer cough syrup wrapped and stashed under a seat and on interrogation, Chingara admitted owning the contraband.
Asked by the magistrate what he intended to do with the syrup, Chingara responded: “I am into the business of selling cough syrups among other drugs since I am a cross-border conductor. I sell in Harare and my rural home, so this was one of my orders for a client.”
The value of the smuggled syrup was $110.
