DRUG KINGPIN NABBED Concern over

Possession and drug sales by students Two school kids arrested so far for selling in schools

Police in the Kgatleng area are on the verge of exposing a possible drug cartel in their area after arresting a 28-yearold man believed to be one of the kingpins selling dagga to school kids.

This publication has learnt that a man from Matlou ward, Malolwane village, has been arrested after the police got a tip off and found him in possession of dagga.

“I can confirm that we have a man whom we are still investigating, he was found in possession of dagga.

When the police arrived at his residence where he operates a small tuckshop, they found him holding a water bottle which he was requested to hand over. “There was some resistance from him but when he finally handed it over; it was found that the bottle contained 20 packaged dagga sachets inside. From a distance, one would not think the bottle contained drugs, it looked like he was just sipping on water but inside there were those sachets,” said Mmoloki Mogale of Mmathubudukwane Police Station. The police believe that the arrested man might be the Kingpin and amongst those supplying students with dagga in schools. They currently have two cases that involve students and dagga. In one incident, the police got a tip off that a Form Two student was selling dagga to other students at Madikwe Junior School in Mmathubudukwane and when they went to search the student’s house in Malolwane, they caught him red handed. The 15-yearold boy was found packaging dagga into small packets late in the night, he was getting ready to sell all at school the next day. The Police also found a heap of unpackaged dagga estimated to be worth a lot of money in addition to the 15 packaged sachets.

Another student of Madikwe was caught by security officers at the school entrance while doing a routine stop and search. A plastic containing dagga was found on him and the student was at pains to explain where he had gotten it from. Mogale shared that there was too much dagga in his policing area and what is even more devastating is that it has found its way into schools.

“Students are losing it; people are giving children dagga to sell not realising that they are destroying their future. We are doing all we can to educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse but it appears our messages fall on deaf ears.”

Mogale suspects that the drugs come from neighboring country South Africa as his area is situated near the border.