The fight to rid Polokwane of drug dealers may as well be deemed useless if police are in cahoots with perpetrators in the thriving drug market says a member of a community policing forum in the city, who works closely with the police.

“At an unscrupulous fee to the officers responsible for executing an arrest, many foreign nationals who are arrested in Polokwane are simply released,” the source, who opted to remain anonymous due to fear of victimisation, told Polokwane Observer.

He claimed that recently, some Polokwane police officials released suspected drug dealers from custody the evening before the case against them was to be registered on the magistrate’s court roll.

Several drug arrests were made in the city recently. It is unclear how many of the arrests resulted in court appearances.

Those who are illegally released simply carry on with business as usual and continue to sell illegal substances, the source alleges.

Provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe said she would call for intelligence-driven operations to determine which officers were responsible for the early release of the detainees.

“The police’s continuous efforts to rid the city of drug lords would be reduced to nothing if this proves to be accurate.”

The South African Police Union (SAPU) secretary general in Limpopo, Lesiba Phokubje admitted to knowing of the case of three highway patrol units who raided a legal dagga plantation at a plot in Dalmada on July 16 and seized eight bags of dagga worth R300 000 which were meant for research purposes.

This matter was, however, registered on the court roll and will be heard, he said.

“Although so, the known case makes it hard for us not to believe that there could be something there. We will request assistance from the intelligence unit to assist with investigations,” Phokubje added.

Some recent drug-related arrests include:

• On September 10 alone, the police seized 333 counterfeit cigarettes, 500 grams of dagga, dagga plants, eight grams of crystal meth and 36 grams of nyaope.
• On September 12, a Nigerian national was arrested for being in possession of drugs worth around R80 000.
• Days earlier, on September 9, another Nigerian national was arrested in Bendor with drugs worth R60 000.