MOSSEL BAY NEWS - "Criminals will soon realise there is nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. The police have a zero tolerance policy and we are enforcing it with diligence," says Lieut-Col Azisa Madongana, the officer commanding the KwaNonqaba Police Station.
"We are squeezing the criminals out of KwaNonqaba."
Col Madongana spoke to the Mossel Bay Advertiser mere hours after a massive drug bust at 23:45 on Monday night, 13 August.
Members of the KwaNonqaba police responded to valuable information received from the community when they raided a house in Graan Street.
A foreign national who acted as a distributor had just arrived at the house to make the delivery when the police pounced. The suspect (29) tried to flee the scene but was soon apprehended and arrested for being in possession of two bags totalling 50kg of unprocessed Tik with an estimated street value of R17.5 million.
"I am very proud of the team responsible for this arrest. Drugs are the reason for most of the petty crimes we have to deal with as a drug-dependent person will stop at nothing to obtain his next fix.
"I thank the community for the valuable information; we made available the necessary resources and are very happy with the outcome. I also commend my police members for their diligence, dedication and hard work in bringing another drug dealer to book."
Methamphetamine, known as "tik" in South Africa, is known for its harmful side effects. Tik is highly addictive and affects the central nervous system and heart.
The large amount of Tik was carefully weighed.
The suspect was kept at the Mossel Bay Police Station holding cells before appearing in the Mossel Bay Magistrate's court on a charge of dealing in and dispensing of an undesirable substance.
Dagga bust
The same dedicated team of police members weeded out more than 1kg of dagga destined for local distribution when they raided a house in Sibawu Street in KwaNonqaba earlier on Monday evening.
At 20:30 KwaNonqaba police officers responded to valuable information received from law abiding members of the community. The police did a thorough search of the identified premises and soon discovered the marijuana that was already processed and ready for sale.
Colonel Mandongana congratulated the police officers on the success of this operation.
KwaNonqaba police spokesperson Sgt Kapp said while people may often scoff at the arrest of dagga users or dealers, it is important to remember that dagga is often the gateway to other drugs. "Research indicates that those who use marijuana are more likely to be around others who use and sell other drugs, increasing the temptation to try those drugs."
The police arrested a person who will be charged for being in possession of marijuana.
The marijuana was already processed into ready-for-sale units.
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