Raids net dagga, illegal liquor sellers
The officer then informed the 'bartender' that he was under arrest for dealing in unlicensed liquor
MONTCLAIR police’s crime prevention team made a number of arrests over the weekend for drug possession and dealing in liquor without a licence.
On Saturday, 21 May, seven arrests were made in the Montclair policing area for possession of dagga.
Arrests were made mainly in Clairwood taverns and at SJ Smith hostel, which has a reputation for illegal activities. “Drug use is a major crime and dealing or use of any banned substance can lead to a hefty sentence. Our teams are doing their best to remove drugs from the streets and away from our youth,” said Montclair SAPS communication officer, Lt Derek Vijiam.
The team were kept busy as reports of illegal dealing in alcohol were received. “There is a problem with liquor outlets operating without a licence, and where this occurs, there is an increased likelihood of it being sold to underage youth,” said Lt Vijiam
Three arrests were made for operating without a licence on Saturday, 21 May. In one case, an officer in plain clothing responded to SJ Smith Hostel about a tip-off related to illegal liquor. Under the pretense of wanting to buy beer, he watched as the accused accepted his money and pulled out a bottle from his fridge. The officer then informed the ‘bartender’ that he was under arrest for dealing in unlicensed liquor.
In the same building on the same day, an officer received information of another liquor dealing operating illegally. “Upon interviewing the accused, it was discovered he was indeed operating without a license. He was detained at Montclair SAPS and charged accordingly,” added Lt Vijiam.
Residents are warned that future raids are scheduled to take place at any given time. They are urged by police to stop their illegal activities. “We have a no tolerance approach when it comes to illegal activities such as drugs and illegal dealing in alcohol, all of which can land in the hands of children. We are here to protect the youth from these dangers and our team will work hard to stop these activities,” said Lt Vijiam.
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