A group of youngsters were left without any excuses to cough up, after being caught allegedly trying to smokkel a moerse stash of cough medicine used to make “sizzurp” or “lean” out of the country.
The trio, aged between 18 and 19 years old, were busted on 25 April by Hawks members attached to the SA Narcotics Bureau team (SANEB).
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani, said the two male suspects and a female suspect, were arrested on a search warrant in Hanover Park.
Wafeeq Petersen, Zaida Gain and Sergio Aweries made an appearance at Bellville Magistrate’s Court.
They were granted R1500 bail. The matter was postponed to July 5.
The medicine, mixed with gas cooldrink, is widely used by laaities to get high.
The craze was made famous by American rapper Lil’ Wayne who has been promoting the purple drink “sizzurp” since the early 2000s.
Hani said while some drugs are illegal to possess without a prescription, these Schedule 5 and 6 medicines are finding their way into the wrong hands.
“The illegal possession of prescription drugs is rife in the Western Cape,” she says.
“This was proven after members of the Hawks-SANEB, executed search warrants on four premises in Hanover Park.”
Hani said the search led them to the Cape Town International Airport where a total of 50 boxes of Mayla Aprozalam, as well as 189 bottles of Stilpane, destined for London, were confiscated.
“Three suspects between the ages of 18 and 19 were arrested and subsequently detained for contravening the Medicine and Related Substance Act, Act 101 of 1965,” said Hani.
This is the second big bust for the year after two men were caught in possession of the medicine at the beginning of this year.
The suspects aged 41 and 50, were believed to be cough syrup couriers after they failed to explain the amount of medicine they had in their possession at a roadblock on Strandfontein Road.
The suspects from Lentegeur in Mitchells Plain were caught with 14 boxes filled with various forms of cough syrup.
Grassy Park station commander Dawood Laing told the Daily Voice that the duo claimed they were taking the medication to a pharmacy in Strandfontein and denied transporting the stash for drug merts but were caught when they could not provide any invoices.