Security patrol busts drug dealers

TWO alleged drug dealers were apprehended in Angler’s Rod by a Meerensee security patrol on Sunday night and dagga, crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia were confiscated.

Corrie Pretorius of the Northern Region Protection Unit (NRPU) says the suspects and evidence were handed over to the police.

The patrol also recovered dumped confidential information at the taxi rank in Meerensee.

Items included hospital patient information, student personal records, boxes of student accounts of the University of Zululand, bags of prescription medication, a bank card, TRIAD application forms and accounts, three old copy machines and stationery.

A personal diary was also recovered.

‘The dumping alone is unacceptable, but to include personal information such as assessments and leaving boxes of prescription medication which children may find, is irresponsible,’ said Pretorius.

‘The illegal dumping in the greenbelts are reaching new heights, because Meerensee does not have a dumping site.

‘With the illegal discarding of anti-retroviral drugs, we are concerned about a new tendency for drug users to combine ARV’\s with ephedrine to make the effects of the drugs last longer.

‘We often now recover expired medicine among the discarded items.

‘Another problem we encounter regularly is drunken drivers, especially over weekends.

‘It would be of great help if the traffic department can assist after hours,’ said Pretorius.

‘If police apprehend suspects, they have to be taken to Ngwelezane Hospital for blood tests and this takes one patrol vehicle out of circulation for three to four hours.

‘Also, in the midst of this severe drought, the water in the toilets at the Meerensee Taxi Rank has been running continuously for months.

‘We have reported it to the municipality at least nine times, but the water is still running.

‘The nightly crime patrols are hugely successful with a large number of volunteers on duty.

‘We will continue with these efforts to curb crime.’