9 000 litres of ammonia found at house

Cape Town-140930-Police raid the poperty at 11 Quick Road, Lansdowne, where they removed barrels of chemicals, allegedly used for the manufacture of drugs. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams. Reporter Francesca Villette.

Cape Town-140930-Police raid the poperty at 11 Quick Road, Lansdowne, where they removed barrels of chemicals, allegedly used for the manufacture of drugs. Picture Jeffrey Abrahams. Reporter Francesca Villette.

Published Oct 1, 2014

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Cape Town - Authorities are probing why 9 000 litres of ammonia – a chemical sometimes used in the manufacturing of tik – are being kept at a derelict Lansdowne house.

Following a tip-off from residents about alleged illegal activity at the Quick Road property, law enforcement and police officers swooped on the house on Tuesday and found 36 containers each containing 250 litres of ammonia.

The city’s spokesman on problem buildings, Wayne Aldridge, said while no one lived in the house, its owner was aware of the containers and their contents, but did not explain what he intended doing with them.

The owner said he had bought them at an auction, Aldridge said.

Another official said the owner had told him he planned to use the chemical to manufacture a detergent.

Aldridge said a notice had been issued to the owner giving him seven days to provide reasons why the house should not be declared a problem building.

“If he does not respond within the next seven days we will declare the building a problem and fine him R5 000.”

A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had lived in the street for four years and had not felt safe as there were “strange characters” who entered and left the house all the time.

“No one lives there, but there are always people in it. I rush to get my children into the car when we have to go somewhere. We are never outside. They hang mats on the fence so we can’t see inside,” she said.

Every night her family were disturbed by people arguing in the house.

The police had received the tip-off and alerted law enforcement, spokesman Andre Traut said.

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