The Department of Justice’s announcement that nyaope dealers and addicts will finally be arrested and punished if found in possession of this controversial drug have left mixed emotions on residents.
It has however given police hope that they will finally manage to decrease crimes committed as a result of this drug.
The department’s spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said this came after justice minister Jeff Radebe and health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi signed off on the amendment of the Drugs and Trafficking Act on March 28.
Before the act was amended, there were no laws in place to deal with new narcotic substances that were created by modifying a substance’s chemical structure to varying degrees, or finding chemicals with entirely different chemical structures that produce similar effects.
Mhaga said that in the instance of nyaope, a person could be charged for unlawfully being in possession of antiretroviral drugs and heroin.
“The court can impose a fine or jail term not exceeding 15 years for use or possession, but for dealing, you can get a fine or 25 years imprisonment.”
“We hope that crimes related to these drugs like nyaope will decrease. We are dealing not just with users of the drugs but with dealers too and we want to make sure that they are harshly punished with no doubt.”
Moroka Police Station communications officer John Serala said: “Finally we now have the right to arrest anyone found smoking, in position or dealing with nyaope.
“We hope that with this announcement, our members will work really hard on campaigns and strategies to help reduce the usage of this drug.”
Serala said: “This announcement came at the exact time where most of the people in all the areas we are policing in have logged so many complains about their houses being burgled in and properties being stolen by alleged nyaope users.”
