POLICE and the community policing forum (CPF) hauled over 400 litres of the dangerous home brew umtshovalale in Vukani and Fingo Village and arrested over 20 people over the weekend. Dagga was also siezed.
POLICE and the community policing forum (CPF) hauled over 400 litres of the dangerous home brew umtshovalale in Vukani and Fingo Village and arrested over 20 people over the weekend. Dagga was also siezed.
Police spokesperson Inspector Milanda Coetzer said the suspects ]were arrested for crimes such as drinking in public and for being drunk and disorderly. Two people were arrested for drunk driving and dealing in liquor.
The raid ended on a high with the the group of 22 CPF members and 13 police officers arresting a suspect who was in possession of dagga in B Street.
This was after one of the members noticed a suspicious bakkie with a KwaZulu-Natal registration plate. When the suspect saw the police he jumped out of the vehicle and started running. The police found four bags of dagga in the vehicle.
The suspect was arrested and charged with possession of dagga, but Inspector Roy Pillay, who was part of the raid, said the charge might be changed to dealing in dagga because over 200kg of dagga was hauled.
Coetzer said the raid was highly effective. “We had members of the community, police volunteers and some of our members wearing reflective jackets.
They were in a long line which was scattered across the street,” she said. Upper Vukani CPF secretary Dumisani Mdoko, said the raid was the first of its kind for Vukani and was a success. He said the CPF got involved because “we want to help the community”.
Mdoko was happy with the community’s response. “Members of the community appreciate what we did but criminals don’t,” said Mdoko.
According to Mdoko the important part of the raids was the element of surprise. Mdoko vowed that there would be more operations, and Pillay said the raid was part of a partnership between the police and the community. “This is big ups to community policing,” said Pillay.
