A man in his 40s was allegedly caught red-handed selling cannabis hidden in biscuit buckets to school pupils in the Verulam CBD on Monday. The suspect, who operated on Wick Street in the Verulam CBD under the pretext of selling biscuits and sweets, was apprehended by an officer from Reaction Unit South Africa and handed over to police.
According to Prem Balram, head of Reaction Unit South Africa, the suspect was found packaging the cannabis in full view of the public. During questioning, the man admitted that he had sold the substances to pupils and adults. He was arrested with the recovered items and about R3,500 in cash.
The incident has raised concerns about drug dealers masquerading as street vendors and exploiting the law and vulnerable pupils. Rachel Wilkin, spokesperson for the Verulam Community Police Forum (CPF), said the incident highlighted the fact that drug dealers were targeting pupils and that the problem was not just a police problem but a societal one.
Wilkin emphasized that the response to the incident could not be limited to arrests alone. She encouraged parents to know their children's friends, social circles, and routines, and to remain alert to changes in behaviour, mood, school attendance, spending patterns, and other possible warning signs.
The Verulam Community Police Forum has been calling for multi-agency visibility and enforcement operations aimed at addressing drug dealing and other criminal activity in and around the CBD. Wilkin said that while an arrest was important, the problem did not end when one alleged dealer was removed from the street, as another could quickly move into the same space and target the same vulnerable market.
Roshan Lil-Ruthan, chairperson of the Verulam Business Forum, said the forum had alerted parents, teachers, and the police to the proliferation of drugs targeting children. He expressed concern about the suspect's allegations of corruption tax payments, which demand immediate investigation.
The Verulam Business Forum will engage with the Verulam police and the provincial SAPS office regarding the matter, insisting on accountability, transparency, and decisive action to restore trust in law enforcement and protect the community. Lil-Ruthan said the incident was deeply troubling yet sadly not surprising, given the repeated concerns about drug peddling targeting children that had been raised by businesses and religious organisations in the CBD.
Key points
- A street vendor in his 40s was caught selling cannabis hidden in biscuit buckets to school pupils in Verulam, South Africa, on Monday.
- The incident has raised concerns about drug dealers masquerading as street vendors and exploiting the law and vulnerable pupils.
- The Verulam Community Police Forum and the Verulam Business Forum are calling for a coordinated approach to address the issue of drug dealing in the area.
