Anti-drugs Detective Arrested For smuggling Drugs Into Zimbabwe

A Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer has appeared in court facing allegations of smuggling dagga (marijuana/mbanje) and unregistered pharmaceutical medicines into Zimbabwe through illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.

The accused, John Mashoko (37), is a police officer attached to the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit in Beitbridge.

Mashoko appeared before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube facing charges of contravening the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, dealing in dangerous drugs and criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

The State alleges that on 18 July 2026, detectives from the Police Intelligence National Crack Team for Anti-Drug Trafficking, led by Detective Assistant Inspector Simbi Padzakashamba, received information that Mashoko had smuggled dagga and pharmaceutical medicines into Zimbabwe the previous day through illegal crossing points west of the Beitbridge Border Post.

Mashoko allegedly used his private vehicle to transport the contraband from the Limpopo River after it had been brought across the border.

The court heard that police received further information that Mashoko had booked Room 1 at Buffalo Lodge, located at the 15km peg along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road, while travelling to Harare, where he allegedly intended to sell the drugs.

Acting on the information, detectives went to the lodge, where they found Mashoko’s vehicle parked on the premises and conducted an overnight surveillance operation.

The State alleges that on 19 July, Mashoko checked out of the lodge with Tawanda Kumbirai (27), a nurse employed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care at Beitbridge General Hospital.

It is alleged that Mashoko was driving while Kumbirai occupied the front passenger seat when detectives approached them, identified themselves and requested permission to search the vehicle.

During the search, detectives allegedly recovered 26 compressed packets of dagga weighing 40.8kg and 200 bottles of 100ml BronCleer cough syrup containing 10mg of codeine. The items were allegedly concealed in the vehicle’s boot.

Mashoko and Kumbirai were subsequently arrested.

Police also seized the dagga, pharmaceutical medicines, the vehicle and two mobile phones — a Samsung Galaxy A17 and a Samsung Galaxy A16.

According to the State, preliminary checks of the mobile phones revealed text messages, WhatsApp conversations and audio recordings allegedly linked to the acquisition, transportation, distribution and sale of dagga and unregistered pharmaceutical medicines.

The recovered drugs and medicines are estimated to have a street value of US$50,960.

More: The Herald