The Boksburg Magistrate’s Court reissued its warning against individuals and established outlets trading in synthetic drugs in the city.
The court’s senior prosecutor, Henk Strydom, initially issued a warning early this year and stated that synthetic drugs sold under names such as “Black Bull”, “Ubsuku Bonke” “Wiz”, “Herbal Blend” and “Spice” can land you in jail.
Offenders can be fined or imprisoned for up to 10 years.
Such products, deemed dangerous and illegal, are commonly sold at adult shops, and can also be found in spaza shops and garage shops.
Local police services and courts were prompted to prioritise the investigation of the sale of these substances under the aforementioned trade names/packaging, as well as any other similar products, and proceed with seizures and arrests for the contravention of the relevant acts.
The court, however, confirmed that so far no law enforcement agency has submitted any arrests of this substance to the court.
Boksburg SAPS spokesperson, Const Ntsako Ledwaba, said the station had started policing this illegal substance, but no arrests have been made yet.
So, it remains unclear whether the traders heeded the previous warning, destroyed the products, or they outsmart the police.
Strydom has, however, reiterated his statement, that anyone found to be selling or using those products, can be criminally charged and prosecuted.
He revealed a list of several Boksburg shops that are known to be dealing in these substances.
Notices and warnings were also issued to those believed to be trading in these products, and authorities hope these warnings will serve to change the popular public misconceptions that such substances are legal and, therefore, not prohibited or controlled by law.
In fact, these products are, according to Strydom, in contravention of the Medicine and Related Substances Act.
“The content of the substance that they sell here as herbal at sex shops contains cannabinoids derivatives. It’s synthetic dagga prohibited in most countries of the world,” said Strydom.
He said the SAPS’ Forensic Science Laboratory recently tested nine sachets each containing two capsules of Black Bull, 12 sachets each containing two capsules of Ubsuku Bonke, eight sachets each containing a capsule marked Wiz, 40 sachets each containing plant material marked Herbal Blend (vanilla, rum, passion fruit) and nine sachets with plant material marked Spice.
The analysis determined that all of these products contain Schedule 4 or Schedule 7 substances listed in the act, or were homologues of listed substances.
A homologue is any chemically-related substance that incorporates a structural fragment into its structure that is similar to the structure of a listed substance and/or which exhibits pharmacodynamic properties similar to a listed substance.
Local police services and courts have been prompted to prioritise the investigation of the sale of these substances under the aforementioned trade names/packaging, as well as any other similar products, and proceed with seizures and arrests for the contravention of the relevant acts.
“So, be warned. Anyone who is selling, distributing, importing, using, advertising or in possession of these substances should note that this is a criminal offence,” Strydom said.
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