Viral video led to arrest of three drug paddlers in Jane Furse
Jane Furse
The Police in Limpopo have made significant progress in the fight against drug trafficking, resulting in the arrest of three suspects, aged between 21 and 27, on Thursday 19 September 2024 at Mamone Village in Jane Furse.
According to the police, the arrest was prompted by a viral social media video showing a young man using drugs and selling them to young people, leading Provincial Commissioner of the Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe to order an immediate investigation.
The video was taken by Operation Dudula and later posted on social media to raise a concern about the alarming paddling of drugs in Jane Furse and surrounding places. The video shows a group of men selling drugs in public disguising as street vendors who sell snacks to the passing people.
Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Limpopo Provincial Police Spokesperson, said the arrests were made by Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit that swiftly apprehended the 21-year-old suspect along with two accomplices.
“Substantial quantities of heroin, crystal meth and cocaine were confiscated during the operation,” he said.
Ledwaba said the suspects will appear before the Sekhukhune Magistrate Court, facing charges of possession and dealing in drugs.
Provincial Commissioner Hadebe commended the investigating team for their prompt action and issued a stern warning to drug traffickers.
“We will not tolerate such selfish and criminal acts. Our commitment to combating the distribution of illicit drugs and safeguarding our community, especially our youth, remains resolute,” concluded Hadebe.
Davis Magolego, who is Operation Dudula Movement Convener in Limpopo and the one who took the video, said he wanted to make the video viral to get the attention of senior police officers because their local police are not helping to eradicate drugs.
“It is worrisome because the drugs are sold in public right opposite the police station and nothing is done to arrest the culprits. We are aware that the drugs are trafficked by some of the law enforcement officials into police holding cells and suspect this is the reason that those who sell drugs are not arrested,” he said.
Magolego added that Operation Dudula has detected other drug infested areas in Sekhukhune and they will be raiding them with the provincial police.
“It is a pity that we have to engage the provincial police while we have police stations around our area. We want thorough investigations to be done by the police on the local drug paddlers to find the main suppliers. We decided to take action because young people are dying in numbers due to drugs and nothing is being done by local authorities,” he said.
