While the sale of drugs are plaguing streets of Tshwane, the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) say closing in on drug kingpins are proving difficult because most arrests only net ‘smaller fish’.

The metro has now partnered with the national prosecuting authority to train TMPD officers on how to build stronger cases against those they arrest for dealing in drugs.

TMPD spokesperson Superintendent Isaac Mahamba says various modus operandi are used to peddle drugs, and the use of seemingly legitimate business fronts is on the increase.

Mahamba tells Pretoria Rekord they recently busted a bakery in Hammanskraal after an investigation revealed it was used as a front to peddle drugs.

He says TMPD had established that in some cases vendors pretends to sell sweets and other snacks in the streets when their core enterprise is dealing drugs.

Mahamba believes the kingpin in the bakery case could be drawn out with investigations but adds that attempts at apprehending kingpins overall were proving unsuccessful.

“The smaller fishes that we are catching are resistant to identifying their bosses.”

Mahamba says the National Prosecuting Authority has offered TMPD training on how to strengthen cases to secure heavier sentences.

“Assistance is being offered by the justice department to strengthen statements for more solid cases when in court. We are pleased to have such assistance.”

Mahamba says he believes that as this partnership develops, kingpins will soon be apprehended.

He says that TMPD is extremely concerned about the peddling of dagga, cocaine, nyaope and crystal meth in the streets of Tshwane.

“Drugs have been a problem in the entire metro,” he says. “In the past three months, we made our best busts in the Garsfontein area, where drugs worth about R1.5m were seized and arrests were made in two major breakthroughs.”

Recent successes:

• Police arrested five foreign nationals after a tip-off about a white Suzuki Swift on Atterbury road carrying drugs. TMPD traced the suspect to his residence where he and four other people were allegedly caught in the act packaging heroin and crystal meth estimated at R500 000.
• 11 foreign nationals were arrested with drugs worth an estimated R700 000.
• Arrests have also been made in Centurion, Hammanskraal, Atteridgeville, Wonderboompoort and Pretoria West with drugs valued R95 000 seized in one incident.
• The TMPD drug unit made four arrests in Booysens, Pretoria West, before Christmas following a foreign national being found in possession of R50 000 worth of nyaope and crystal meth, while in Pretoria North, another foreign national was found in possession of crystal meth and cat to the value of R45 000.
• In Soshanguve a couple aged between 40 and 43 was found in possession of 130 packets of crystal meth with an estimated value of R7 000.
• In December, a 43-year-old foreign national was caught red-handed delivering heroin and crystal meth with an estimated street value of close to R40 000 to Pretoria central.

“The problem of drugs is extensive in the metro and we are keeping an eye on it.”

He adds that TMPD owed its successes to the help of police intelligence and residents’ tip-offs. “As and when we receive information on drug-riddled areas, we react and we would like to applaud the public for wanting to rid the community of drugs.”

He urges residents to continue assisting the metro police and assured them that the police would keep the identity of those who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation confidential.

Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams recently led an anti-drug and substance abuse outreach programme to Fred Magardie primary school in Eersterust.

“The school also faces various challenges that need immediate attention. While we assist where we can as the metro, public schools fall under the responsibility of the Gauteng Department of Education.”

[WATCH] TMPD Drug Unit makes another drug bust to the value of more than R500 000. @TMPDSafety pic.twitter.com/MZV3dbKKyA

— Mayor Cilliers Brink (@tshwane_mayor) December 21, 2022

He says the Tshwane Health Department had, however, been driving a strong campaign to assist communities impacted by drugs and substance abuse.

“Drug and substance abuse is a major challenge in our communities and therefore we must work together to protect our young people and families from the destructive impact of substance abuse and drugs.”