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*This article has been updated.
Police have nabbed two men over the weekend following a raid on an informal shop in Strandfontein where dagga and tik was found.
Tik and dagga
This followed a probe after a customer made a shocking discovery of drugs hidden in a loaf of white bread.
Nazli Fredericks, who found three “bankies” of tik and one containing dagga, bought the loaf of Blue Ribbon bread on Saturday (June 13) at a tuck shop close to her home.
"As I took slices out for toast, the packet [of drugs] fell out," she said.
Strandfontein station commander Captain Lulama Qavana said after a statement was made by Fredericks, an inquiry was made where an application for a search warrant was made.
"Two Bangladeshi men were arrested after 8 packets of dagga, 5 packets of tik and one straw of tik were found," she said.
"The suspects were sent to Mitchells Plain court this morning (Monday June 22)."
Clearing the confusion
Despite handing over the drugs together with the bread at around 19:00 on Sunday 14 June to the officers on duty, Fredericks claimed the drugs was officially booked in only on Thursday 18 June after allegations that the drugs disappeared.
Referring to claims that the drugs found by Fredericks went missing, Captain Qavana said that it was in the safe but had not been recorded in the occurrence book.
"It was booked in the SAPS exhibit register and kept in the safe."
Captain Qavana said the confusion may have been caused because the bread had been thrown away.
Fredericks also expressed her relief that SAPS Western Cape stepped in to clarify further confusion over whether she reported finding drugs in the bread or that she handed them over to the police.
"I have given all the information to provincial SAPS because they contacted me also and I have given them contact details of the warrant officer also to verify the details.''
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Noloyiso Rwexana said the incident was reported.
"This office can confirm that the incident occurred ... and the matter is being investigated. No one has been arrested at this stage," she said on Friday morning.
Here is an image of the bread and drugs:
'Something fishy'
Meanwhile, Warrant Officer (WO) Bertram Croutz, a resident of Strandfontein, believes that something is amiss involving the drugs found in the bread.
His own findings indicate that troubled youth, appears to be behind the incident.
"This was a bunch of youngsters who is believed to have broken into the store. I'm suspecting they may have received a tip-off and they went to stash it in the bread."
WO Croutz said tuck shop was burgled while the owner went shopping for supplies. "So, when he got back to his shop, it was broken into. He showed me the evidence so I can confirm it is so."
However, he could not confirm if a house break-in incident was reported.
WO Croutz is of the view that groups of people dealing in drugs are "taxing" foreign shop owners.
"This is a new trend; it is no more xenophobia. They have an option – you either pay tax to these dealers for protection, and the other thing is you have to store drugs for them so there is no link back to them."
This makes it easy for foreigners to be arrested and then deported, said WO Croutz.
UPDATE:
Captain Qavana confirmed that the two accused appeared before court where the case was thrown out. "I had a management meeting and was informed that the suspects were released. The prosecutor refused to prosecute."
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