Harare (New Ziana) – Harare provincial authorities have teamed up with police to crackdown on illegal drug dealing in the region, a senior official has said.

Harare Metropolitan Provincial secretary, Tafadzwa Muguti said an increasing amount of illegal drugs were being peddled in the region, particularly on the streets of the capital.

As a result, more and more youths, including those of school going age, were getting hooked to drugs, a situation causing a rise in mental health cases.

Two weeks ago, eight high school girls were expelled from their school after they were caught taking drugs.

Muguti said the Harare province, suspected to be the epicentre of illegal drug dealing in the country, will now crackdown hard on the vice, targeting kingpins and queens.

He said as a disguise, some drug lords had opened business structures such as night clubs where illegal drugs were being sold and distributed.

These, he said, would be named and shamed, in addition to the owners being arrested.

Muguti said apart from the police, other government ministries and agencies were also involved in the planned crackdown on crack and appealed to the public for support.

“We also know that many drug lords are now going into the business communities setting up offices, setting up all kinds of structures so that they can easily distribute (drugs). We are going to be naming all commercial areas involved,” he said.

“We would like to continue appealing to the general citizens within the Harare Metropolitan Province. People should not be afraid, please go to your nearest police station (and) report even if it’s your neighbour, people that you know that are trading drugs.”

New Ziana