Last Wednesday (January 17), saw an elderly hawker caught red-handed with over R 3 000 worth of dagga in his possession, after a tip-off from the community.
Constable Simon Chokoe of the Laudium police told the Laudium Sun that the 62-year-old black male was nabbed at the Laudium CBD taxi rank with a bag containing 1 900 sticks and 77 balls of weed. He was charged for possession of dagga, at the Laudium Police Station.
Station commander Lt-Col Johan Britz applauded his members for their swift response to the tip-off and said that he appreciated the information received from the community members that led to the arrest of the suspect. He encouraged the community to continue working together with the police in order to curb criminal activity in the area.
An irate CBD business owner, who pleaded for anonymity, told the Laudium Sun “It’s all well and good that this guy was caught with the weed. But he is already out on bail and probably up to his old tricks in the streets of Laudium."
Meanwhile a number of shopkeepers told the Laudium Sun that there were other hawkers also selling drugs, under the guise of selling other goods.
Speaking to the Laudium Sun, Alli Ullah from L.Z Cellular shop in the CBD alleged that he has noticed another hawker who sells sweets as a front, also dealing with dagga, but refused to identify the hawker, for fear of victimization, "He hides the stuff under the goods he is selling." However a hawker who did not want to be identified, pointed the Laudium Sun to another sweet vendor who he claimed was hiding drugs under the back tyre of his vehicle.
When the Laudium Sun approached the said sweet vendor, concerning the drug allegations, he refused to give us his name and denied that he was selling drugs.
The Laudium CBD taxi rank, where a 62-year-old hawker was nabbed with a quantity of dagga.
The sweet vendor accused by another hawker of selling drugs in the CBD, denied the allegations.
The dagga sticks and balls that were confiscated.
Laudium police spokesperson, Constable Chokoe said the confiscated dagga was worth over R3 000.
Shop owner Alli Ullah said there was another sweet vendor in the CBD also selling drugs.