Francistown's DNS deputy officer-in-charge, Assistant Superintendent Albert Morapedi, says although dagga remains problematic, "we are having a tougher time cracking cocaine peddlers and users". Cocaine is mostly distributed in powder form, or crack, in the language of the underworld. Detective Morapedi says the drug reaches Francistown mainly from the southern part of Botswana.He believes that with the cooperation of the public, DNS can nail the seemingly street-wise, sophisticated and daring dealers and users who circulate the drug even in daytime. Information will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
"It is frustrating that we know cocaine is flowing in the streets of Francistown where demand for habit-forming drugs is high, but we haven't made a major breakthrough yet," he says.Police say 'runners' are mainly young people aged between 21 and 37. But inspite of its widespread use, Detective Morapedi says DNS has arrested only two Batswana men in one swoop for unlawful possession of the drug so far this year. Five cases involving a total weight of 12.284 grams of cocaine worth an undisclosed street value were registered last year.
