DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal police are cracking the whip on suspects contravening the Medicine Control Act, with a third arrest in six days.
In the most recent arrest, police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said on Monday afternoon, the Umkomaas Task Team was informed about a stolen vehicle that was parked at Roseneath in Umkomaas, south of Durban.
Mbele said the task team and private security company proceeded to the location where they found the vehicle.
“Upon checking the vehicle, they found 246 Xanax tablets,18 bottles of codeine cough syrup, Stilpane syrup, 11 packets of Pacific Blue cigarettes and 2kg of dagga.”
“A 25-year-old suspect was placed under arrest for contravening the Medicine Control Act and possession of counterfeit goods,” Mbele said.
She said the suspect was expected to appear in the Scottburgh Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning.
Last week, police arrested two people, including an employee at a medical supplies warehouse, for stealing boxes of medicine.
A complainant had alleged that between November 3 and 4, he was on duty at the dispatch department at Riverhorse Valley when he received four boxes of medication containing Mylan Alprazolam tablets. When he was about to distribute the boxes, he noticed that all the boxes were stolen. He looked everywhere but could not find the boxes. An Apple iPad was also stolen with the boxes.
A case of theft was opened at the Newlands police station.
On Thursday, the Provincial Trio Task Team followed up information regarding the stolen medication. The information led the team to Wiggins in Cato Manor, where an Apple iPad was recovered. Further investigation led police to KwaMashu Hostel, where 61 units of medication of Mylan Alphrazolam, commonly known as Xanax, was recovered.
A 23-year-old suspect was arrested, and another suspect, 25, was arrested at his place of employment, where the medication was stolen.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, police arrested a man, 25, selling medicine in the Mountain Rise policing area.
The man was found in possession of seven Broncleer medicine bottles, 146 Phoenorant Broncleer medicine bottles, loose dagga and R20 430 in cash.
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Daily News