Schedule 5 medication confiscated, man charged

Schedule 5 medication with a street value of  about R35,000 was confiscated by Gqeberha police this week and a 40-year-old man arrested.

The medication, allegedly found in his possession, included 10 sealed bottles of Stilpane tablets with 100 tablets in each bottle, and 30 bottles of Purata tablets (sleeping pills) also with 100 tablets in each bottle.

While some drugs are illegal to possess, the government does regulate the manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale, and use of certain drugs through a prescription classification.

Schedule 5 medication can only be issued if a doctor has prescribed them; otherwise possession or sale of the drug is an offence under the Medicines Control Act.

On Wednesday, Mount Road crime prevention unit members were patrolling in Gradwell Street in Parsons Hill at about 10.20am when they spotted a stationary white VW Citi Golf with two men seated inside.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the police officers monitored the vehicle and as they drove back into the street, they noticed a red BMW driving slowly towards the Golf.

“Intuition caused the [officers] to react and the BMW was stopped.

“On searching the vehicle, police found two boxes containing [the Schedule 5 medication].”

Naidu said an investigation established that the driver had allegedly bought the tablets from a supplier on his employer’s name, who happened to be a doctor, without the doctor’s knowledge.”

The suspect was charged with contravening the Medicines Control Act.

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