POLOKWANE – With an increase of close to 50% in drug-related crime in the province, according to the crime statistics that were recently released by the police, the Limpopo police have put various strategies in place to address this rising problem.
Safety, security and liaison spokesperson, Molebatsi Masedi, explained that drug-related crimes were those crimes that were associated with drug abuse and addiction.
“Research carried out on drug-related crimes has revealed that drug misuse is associated with various crimes that are partly related to the feelings of invincibility, which can become particularly pronounced with abuse,” Masedi explained. Problematic crimes associated with drug abuse and addiction could include shoplifting, property crime, drug dealing, violence, aggression and driving, he added.
Polokwane police spokesperson, Capt Ntobeng Phala said specialised drugs such as Rohypnol, also known as roofies, were used to facilitate date rape. “Rohypnol has also been abused for the purpose of carrying out acts of incest. However, alcohol remains the most common drug involved in cases of drug rape,” he said.
Another challenge in the fight against drug-related crime was police corruption, Phala said. “Incidents of police corruption put an almost irreparable dent on the image of the police and break down their efforts to play a leading role in the fight against drugs. The public is urged to keep on reporting all these incidents and take hands with the police in their area to fight these crimes together,” he said.
Masedi said the intervention plans that were in place to nip such crimes in the bud included community mobilisation and education, coordination with authorities in other countries, the strengthening of cooperation with South Africa’s international and regional counterparts to address this global challenge, crime intelligence, detective work and coordination among members of the justice, crime prevention and security cluster.
Speaking about the national increase in drug-related crime, police minister Nathi Mthethwa said drug trafficking had to become everybody’s concern.
He said the nature of drug-related crime required stronger coordination with authorities in other countries.
“We are also strengthening cooperation with our international and regional counterparts to address this global challenge, wherein drug trafficking routes are becoming more and more sophisticated,” he said.
