POLITICAL NEWS - A man, believed to be a police officer, appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrates Court where he was released on bail after he was caught with 3061 orange and white capsules, suspected to be heroin, outside a notorious drug den in Shallcross, last week, Rising Sun Chatsworth reports.
Provincial police spokeswoman, Col Thembeka Mbhele, stated that Chatsworth police officers were conducting crime prevention duties when they noticed a parked vehicle and conducted a search.
“A 31-year-old driver was searched and found in possession of drugs. He was arrested for possession of drugs and was set to appear in Chatsworth Magistrates Court, on Wednesday,” she confirmed. It is believed that the police officer was on duty, but was found driving his private vehicle.
Director of the Anti-Drug Forum, Sam Pillay, said, “We are extremely excited about the significant arrest by Chatsworth SAPS of a Berea police officer, who was allegedly caught with a large number of drugs in the vicinity of a notorious drug den. Hats off to station commander of Chatsworth SAPS, Brig Kevin James, and his team. We are confident that there will be closing down of drug dens. We are encouraging residents to come forward and assist.”
Pillay further stated that the police officer must be brought to book by IPID.
“Complicit police officers are also one of the reasons for low conviction rates after successful drug busts by the good cops. We must, as a community, keep the pressure up to change the modus operandi,” he concluded.