On August 7, Normandien Police recovered R5 000 worth of dagga hidden in a 25-litre bottle. What may seem like a miniscule amount to most is only a gateway to a problem exceeding well beyond the bounds of the law.
SAPS Spokesperson, Captain Shooz Magudulela said, “On average, three people are arrested every day in each station forming part of our cluster for the possession of dagga.”
Although Capt. Magudulela could not provide any specific details on the incident mentioned above without jeopardising the case, he explained dockets remained at the courthouse for an undefined period of time and no further information could be provided on the police’s behalf as to the court proceedings.
Newcastle police together with SANCA, visited Panorama Combined School following an incident were pupils were caught in possession of drugs during a routine search on August 12. A Crime and Drug Awareness presentation was given to pupils, their parents and teachers on August 22.
Capt. Magudulela discussed the negative impact of drugs and how substance abuse often led to further illegal activity later on in life. The aim of the presentation was to deter pupils from using and selling drugs altogether. “Once someone’s fingerprints have been taken by police, it has a negative impact on that person’s chances of being employed. Most companies check potential candidates’ criminal record before hiring them. Pupils need to stop involving themselves in criminal activity before they pay the price in future.”
Police warned if they were to return to Panorama Secondary School and found pupils in the possession of drugs, they would be charged according to the relevant legislation. Parents were urged to communicate with teachers and police in order to curb the use of drugs in schools.
In view of the Panorama Secondary School drug debacle, Capt. Magudulela said drug and crime awareness campaigns have helped curb the use and possession of illegal substances in schools.
“We urge schools to contact us as soon as they become suspicious of the behaviour of the pupils. If they communicate their concerns to us, we are able to conduct awareness campaigns or search operations if need be,” he said.
Apart from routine search operations, police have been successful in clamping down on the possession of drugs in general. Numerous arrests, stop-and-search initiatives and roadblocks have played their role in the somewhat snail-paced eradication of drugs in the Newcastle area.
With dedicated officials and residents willing to do their bit, the ideal of a drug-free community is likely to become a reality in the near future. Although it seems like a mammoth task, Newcastle is capable of anything if residents put their minds to it.
Newcastle SAPS can be contacted on 034 314 6169 or 034 314 6166.
