Cops bust suspected nyaope dealers in city centre
Police have found a large amount of drugs in the city centre.
Pretoria Central police have seized 600 packs of nyaope to the street value of more than R20 000 and arrested three men for dealing and possession of drugs in separate incidents in the city centre on Wednesday, police said.
Central police spokesperson Seargeant Ann Poortman said they also confiscated R6 304 cash and five cell phones during the arrest of two South Africans and a Nigerian national aged 26, 33 and 31 respectively.
Poortman said the first two suspects aged 26 and 33 were apprehended on the corner of Bloed and Andries streets on Wednesday morning. “Police were on high alert after receiving a tip-off and searched for the suspects and found 200 packs of nyaope,” she said.
She said police primary investigation had revealed there was another man expected to deliver more drugs. Police nabbed him when he turned up and confiscated 400 packs of nyaope, cash and cellphones.
Police believe the three men may be some of the masterminds behind drug distribution in the city centre.
“During the arrest police found a list of people to whom drugs were about to be delivered,” Poortman said. She warned drug dealers that police would arrest them in the city street.
“We have taken a zero tolerance approach to crime and will put people behind bars when they deal in drugs in the city centre,” she said.
Poortman said the recent arrest was crucial as it dealt with people suspected of bringing drugs into the area.
The selling of the highly addictive drug commonly known as nyaope has contributed to numerous crimes including theft and smash-and-grabs.
After interviewing drug addicts known as nyaope boys, Rekord found that a nyaope boy would commit crime to acquire money for the next fix.
One of the nyaope boys said: “There are many of us in the city centre. We do smash-and-grabs and robberies for money to buy drugs. We do not like this life but find ourselves forced to do it if want to smoke nyaope.””
Police said they arrested people almost every day for possession of nyaope in the city centre, including on the notorious Brown Street where nyaope boys smoke drugs openly on the street.
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