Last year Mpumalanga Department of Social Development named eMalahleni as having the second highest rate of drug abuse in the country.
This is according to a study conducted by the Medical Research Council, which found that 42% of drug abuse cases in the province were in eMalahleni.
The local police are taking this crime seriously and have hit hard at the criminals distributing this evil.
Last week members of Witbank SAPS managed to arrest five people for possession of drugs, just by following strong leads.
On Wednesday, February 19 at 02:40 police officers received a complaint from a woman who said that a certain Nigerian man had taken her money.
Police responded to the call in French Street.
A man opened the door and the police confronted him about the money he took from the woman.
The police then decided to search his room, where they found 20 small rocks, one packet of dagga and smoking pipes all hidden under an umbrella.
The suspect was arrested and appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on February 20 and the case was postponed to Thursday, February 27.
Later on that day at 09:45 police received a complaint about a man who was dealing in dagga next to the road in the Central Business District.
Police arrested the man and took him to Witbank Police Station. Dagga that he had in his possession was confiscated.
He appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on February 20 and the case was postponed for further investigation until February 27.
On Thursday, February 20 at 09:00 a police officer was patrolling Van Deventer Street in Extension 10 when he noticed a suspicious man walking around. He was stopped and searched and in his pocket two pinches of heroin were found. He was arrested for possession of drugs.
The 29-year-old appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Friday, February 21 and the case was postponed until February 27.
On Friday, February 21 at 23:00 police members were patrolling Diedericks Street in the CBD when they came across an apprehensive man. They decided to search him and found four pokes of dagga with an estimated street value of R60. The 23-year-old suspect was arrested and appeared in Witbank Magistrate’s Court on Monday, February 24. The case was postponed to Tuesday, June 24.
Two days after the police made an arrest in Van Deventer Street, they made another arrest on Saturday, February 22 at 10:45.
As police members were patrolling the street, they noticed a man digging in the soil next to the road.
When the police stopped their vehicle and approached the suspect, he had nothing on him. The police then searched the area where he was digging and found 11 plastic bags of dagga buried in the ground.
He was arrested and taken to Witbank Police Station. He appeared in court on Monday, February 24 and the case was postponed until Monday, March 3.
On Friday, February 21 Captain Eddie Hall, Constable David Ratau and other members of the police paid a surprise visit to a high school and no drugs were found on any of the students but six joints were found in the boy’s toilet.
“Witbank SAPS is using all its forces to stop the drug usage and drug distribution in eMalahleni. The drug team is working 24 hours to help combat this problem. The police would like to thank the community for their co-operation and they are encouraged to phone 08600 10111 if they have any information,” said Captain Hall, police spokesperson.
