Durban - A 38-year-old woman believed to be linked to an antiretroviral (ARV) theft syndicate was netted in a sting operation in Empangeni on Wednesday when she was caught with more than R300 000 worth of medication.
The “buy and bust” operation came after members of the KZN Provincial Crime Intelligence Unit acted on a tip-off, using marked notes to buy the drug and catch the suspect.
Other units involved included Empangeni and Richards Bay Crime Intelligence, Technical Support Durban and the KZN Provincial Local Criminal Record Centre.
The woman was caught with 318 bottles of the ARVs which she was selling for R1 000 a bottle. Two of the bottles were labelled as originating from the Mvutshini Clinic near Margate, on the South Coast, which gave police a clear lead as to where the batch of medication came from. They are investigating the possibility of health workers being linked to the theft of the ARVs.
It is believed the ARVs were destined to be sold to drug dealers who use them in a concoction for the popular street drug whoonga, which is a mixture of heroin, cocaine, and dagga.
According to published drug reports, tests on confiscated batches of whoonga have not conclusively proven that ARVs are used in its production. Used in the drug, ARVs have an LSD-like hallucinogenic effect when smoked.
When the woman was arrested, she appeared to be oblivious of the crime, saying she “didn’t know what she was doing wrong” .
According to a source at the KZN Department of Health, the Schedule 4 drug costs the government R500 to R600 for a bottle containing 30 pills.
In 2014, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies confirmed that South Africa planned to spend $2.2 billion over two years (2015 and 2016) to buy HIV/Aids drugs for public hospitals.
Police sources at the scene of the bust, said the woman would face a number of charges under the Medicines Act.
She was held at the Empangeni SAPS station and appeared in the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The case was adjourned until this Friday for a bail application.
A 2013 study led by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health regarding the use of ARVs in whoonga, highlighted that it could have vast public health implications.
According to the report:
“Recreational use of ARVs may take medication away from those who need it most, be associated with criminal activity from whoonga users, and drive up the cost of delivering ARVs to patients. It could also lead to an increase in ARV resistance, complicating HIV treatment for HIV-infected whoonga users.”
Samuel Mkhwanazi, the spokesman for the KZN Department of Health, said that MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo had expressed concern about the allegations that there were department employees involved in the “horrendous act” of stealing these life-saving ARV drugs from sufferers.
“Dr Dhlomo has commended the work of the police in arresting the alleged perpetrator.
“This should be a warning to those who involve themselves in corrupt activities that they will be caught and if found guilty, the full might of the law will be visited upon them.”
The government had spent billions of rand of taxpayers’ money to procure ARV drugs to save lives.
“Those guilty of stealing them are not only stealing from the people of the province, but are also contributing to the unnecessary deaths of people in need by causing drug shortages due to theft,” said Mkhwanazi.
Sunday Tribune