Police Pounce On Illegal �Pharmacists�

Pini Bothoko | Monday November 13, 2017 16:26

 

Vendors were arrested in possession of different types of ARV pills, broncleer cough syrup, movate, epiderm cream, diproson, apetito pills used to boost sexual appetite, men’s enlargement cream, sildenafil tablets and comit 50 tablets suspected to be used to terminate pregnancy, virginity pills, contraceptives pills, illegal cigarettes and raw tobacco, otherwise known as mabolara in Setswana.

Interviewed by The Monitor, Borakanelo police station commander, Superintendent Mothusi Phadi confirmed to have arrested street vendors who have been running pharmacies out of their buckets.

He said as part of the 60 days activism against crime and car accidents they have on Friday morning raided the bus rank and seized various medications to have been smuggled into the country.

Phadi said they have arrested 43 people, 37 women and six men all Batswana, but of the BaZezuru tribe who are currently in police custody helping the police with investigations.

“They are yet to be interviewed on how and where they have taken or purchased the medications from.

We suspect that they might have been smuggled into the country from neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe,” Phadi said. He said they have realised that some street vendors sell broncleer cough syrup to students in which they mix it with fizzy drinks in order to be high.

“They mix a whisky called Zorba, broncleer cough syrup, Fanta Grape soft drink and gulp down the mixture to get drunk.

We consider this mixture a drug because they overdose them to make themselves high.

This mixture is risky as learners can drink it publicly disguising to be drinking a soft drink. It is possible for them to even consume it at school because it looks exactly like a drink,” he said.

Phadi said they suspect that the vendors are also into money laundering because the police have also confiscated large sum of money from them. “The suspects were also found in possession of P74,169, R23,267.60 and US$904. We are aware that there are some street vendors who are into money laundering hence suspecting that they are money-changers. I want to stress this, action will be taken against them because they sell harmful things whilst pretending to be selling vegetables and airtime,” Phadi said.

He expressed a worry over some street vendors operating as illegal cash traders who have turned the bus rank into a zone for illicit foreign currency deals.

Phadi advised vendors to protect the informal sector business as it was made for them as Batswana for their survival by helping the police nip in the bud illegal practices occurring at the bus rank.

“Vendors should know that what they are doing has a negative impact on the economy especially that most of them do not put the money in banks something that hinders it from circulating,” said Phadi.