A 42-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean man was arrested in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
This after police discovered a stash of cough medicine hidden under his bed.
The arrest was made during a raid in Ilitha Park on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, following an intelligence tip-off.
Police spokesman Constable Ndakhe Gwala said members of Operation Shanela II acted swiftly after receiving information about illegal activity at the suspect's house.
"The members found a 42-year-old Zimbabwean male in the house, and during the search, they found large quantities of medicine hidden under the bed," said Gwala.
The seized bottles were labelled Benylin with Codeine and Broncleer, both codeine-based cough syrups used to relieve coughing and chest congestion. When misused, however, such medicines can have intoxicating effects and are often sold illegally as recreational drugs.
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According to Gwala, the suspect admitted that he was selling the medicine to "his fellow countrymen". He was arrested for contravening the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1995. The man is being detained at Harare cop shop and is expected to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrates Court soon.
This comes just weeks after a major road accident in Limpopo exposed a similar issue. Police recovered several bottles of cough medicine from the wreckage of a bus that had been travelling from Gqeberha to Zimbabwe and Malawi. The crash, which occurred on 13 October, claimed 43 lives and left several others injured.
Limpopo police spokeswoman Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said it is illegal to transport large quantities of medication without authorisation.
"Legally, someone is only permitted to possess and carry the quantity of medicine you have been prescribed by an authorised prescriber," said Ledwaba.
She added that transporting medicine in bulk without proper documentation is illegal. The investigation into the Khayelitsha case continues.
