Polokwane’s drug fight ‘useless’ if cops are in cahoots with drug lords
An anonymous source suggests police officials release suspected drug dealers from custody ahead of court appearances at an 'unscrupulous fee'.
POLOKWANE – The fight to rid the city of those distributing drugs may as well be deemed useless, if police are in cahoots with perpetrators in this thriving market.
This is the opinion by a member of a community policing forum in the city, who works closely with the police.
“At an unscrupulous fee to the officers responsible to execute an arrest, many foreign nationals who are arrested in Polokwane are simply released,” the source, who opted to remain anonymous due to fear of victimisation, told Polokwane Observer.
He claimed that recently, some Polokwane police officials released suspected drug dealers from custody the evening before the case against them was to be registered on the magistrate’s court roll the next day.
Every other week, a drug dealer is arrested on a charge of drug possession in the city.
Read more: Tip off leads to arrest of Nigerian drug dealer in Polokwane
On September 10 alone, the police seized 333 counterfeit cigarettes, 500 grams of dagga, dagga plants, eight grams of crystal meth and 36 grams of nyaope drugs.
Police discovered a truck that was loaded with 273 master boxes of illicit cigarettes with a street value of R1,5 million and the suspects were immediately placed under arrest.
On September 12, a Nigerian national was arrested for being in possession of drugs worth around R80 000.
Read more: Nigerian man (38) arrested for dealing drugs in Polokwane CBD
Days earlier, on September 9, another Nigerian national was arrested in Bendor with drugs worth R60 000.
Upon their return to society, they simply continue to sell illegal substances, the source said.
Provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe said she would call for intelligence driven operations to determine which officers were responsible for the early release of the detainees.
“The police’s continuous efforts to rid the city of druglords would be reduced to nothing, if this proves to be accurate.”
A milestone was recently achieved in the Capricorn district after two men were arrested for being in possession of illicit cigarettes amounting to more than R1m, Hadebe confirmed. The duo, aged 31 and 42 were spotted driving a truck along the R521 (Mogwadi road) when they were stopped and searched.
The South African Police Union (SAPU) secretary general in Limpopo, Lesiba Phokubje admitted to knowing of the case of three highway patrol units who raided a legal dagga plantation at a plot in Dalmada on July 16 and seized eight bags of dagga worth R300 000 which were meant for research purposes.
This matter was, however, was registered on the court roll and will be heard, he said.
“Although so, the known case makes it hard for us not to believe that there could be something there. We will request assistance from the intelligence unit to assist with investigations,” Phokubje added.
