Taking the fight against drugs to the doorsteps of criminal elements, everything is cleared on the way to the source.
Florida Police have carried out several arrests of known drug dealers in a hard-hitting series of raids on Friday and Monday, September 3 and 6. Assisted by registered informants, the K9 unit, narcotics units and Florida Community Policing Forum (FCPF) members, the operations took their fight against drug-related offences to the doorsteps of those responsible.
Gearing up for the weekend, Friday could arguably be the busiest day for peddlers of drugs, hence the bulk of reported incidents. That afternoon, informants directed authorities to a carwash on Hull Street where a possible suspect was identified. Upon approaching the man, he fled the scene and while doing so dropped the bag he was carrying. He escaped through a fence but police found 160 grams of marijuana and almost R10 000 in cash in the abandoned bag.
Earlier that morning, a school on Clarendon Drive was subject to a spot inspection, where police confiscated 15 grams of marijuana and R400 in cash. Later in the day, police recorded their biggest success at a residential apartment building on 4th Avenue when two men were arrested in three separate visits to the building. The first suspect was arrested after being found in possession of 915 sachets of illegal alcohol but the more significant discovery was made just a few doors down.
A man believed to be a distributor selling drugs in larger quantities to other dealers was cornered in his apartment. The suspect’s room was searched with a police dog uncovering a secret compartment behind a cupboard, which contained narcotics, packaging materials and cash. Almost R130 000 worth of drugs, including 450 grams of CAT and 50 grams of crystal meth were found in the cupboard as well as a scale, five cell phones and over R13 000 in cash. The 31-year-old Nigerian was arrested for dealing in narcotics and being in contravention of section 49 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002.
The operation hit the streets again on Monday, notching up two more notable successes. Informants led authorities to the Florida Lake swimming pool where it was believed a suspected dealer was hiding his product. The K9 officer again showed its worth by sniffing out a hole in the grass where 26 grams of crystal meth were being stashed. The senses of the sniffer dog were again instrumental in a nearby 5th Ave apartment block where the K9 member located 22 grams of CAT valued at R5 500.
The estimated grand total of drug-related resources taken off the streets in the space of four days amounts to almost R200 000, another notch in Florida Police’s ‘partnership in policing’ strategy. To continue this good work, FCPF encourage community members to send information about drugs and other criminal activities via WhatsApp to 0744574073 or 0790344195.
