The Limpopo Department of Health has welcomed the arrest of a data capturer attached to the Bela Bela Clinic for allegedly selling antiretroviral (ARV) medication.
The employee was arrested on Thursday night after police officers found him with boxes of ARVs which he was trying to sell “to an undocumented foreign national of Nigerian descent”, according to Thilivhali Muavha, spokesperson for the Limpopo department of health.
“The department views this arrest as a breakthrough against rogue elements in the department, which cause shortages of medication, which affect community members badly.
Muavha said there is suspicion that the stolen ARVs would be used to manufacture illicit drugs.
“Considering that illegal foreign nationals are also eligible to receive any form of medication in our facilities, we can only believe that perhaps these pills were being used to manufacture illegal drug substances which are a huge challenge to the youth of Bela Bela,” said Muavha.
“The department will work with the police to ensure that anyone who is implicated on these horrendous acts of theft is arrested and incarcerated accordingly.”
In February, police in Limpopo arrested two men – foreign nationals – for allegedly selling drugs to school learners around the Flora Park Dam.
“Members of the provincial organised crime unit in collaboration with crime intelligence received information about a 41-year-old Nigerian who was allegedly selling drugs to learners of Northern Academy Secondary and Flora Park Secondary schools which are adjacent to Flora Park Dam,” Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said at the time.
“The information was immediately operationalised and a sting operation (was) conducted at the said dam.”
Police said the Nigerian man was subsequently found sitting in a white Nissan Almera sedan.
“The operation continued and his countryman, aged 44, was nabbed along the N1 north next to Botlokwa just after he allegedly received the heroin drugs from the first suspect at Flora Park Dam meant for further distribution.”
IOL