Touts pounce on drug addicts, peddlers

In an effort driven by the need to tame drugs and substance abuse scourge, Mvurwi touts have declared war on addicts and peddlers who are wrecking havoc in town.

The touts have been raiding bases where drug like crystal meth (Mutoriro, Dombo or Guka), Bronclear (Bronco, Cough Syrup which is an overdose of Codeine), Red beret (all various types of backyard wines costing 0.50c a bottle or Cup), Skunk (Synthetic Cannabis) and Antipsychotics (Mangemba) are being abused.

This was necessitated by one of the touts' girl child who was abused by eight drug addicts in Suwoguru township, Mvurwi.

Residents have blamed police for protecting the drug peddlers who are allegedly reluctant to act on information supplied.

A resident, Moses Chirambiwa said drugs are destroying the community and the police's failure to act will worsen the situation.

"We are having a serious problem in the community and failure to act by the police has prompted residents to act but that is very dangerous because they may end up committing crimes by attacking the drug Lords, hence police should assist residents," Chirambiwa said.

Mvurwi ward 3 councillor, Fanuel Chigonero confirmed that drugs have flooded the Mvurwi area and they are trying to engage both the police and the community to work together.

"It is true that we now have a serious problem in Mvurwi on drugs, but we are trying hard to make both the community and the police to work together in bringing sanity to Mvurwi," Chigonero said.

Efforts to contact Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe were fruitless after his mobile phone went unanswered.

Meanwhile, drug cartels have mushroomed over the years in Zimbabwe, with the biggest mutating into national organised crime syndicates competing to make and smuggle drugs through the country's porous borders.

In Zimbabwe, most high density and minerals-rich suburbubs have become drug nests. Authorities mainly focus their attention on punishment over treatment or rehabilitation of drug victims (which is on a low scale).

However, instead of providing plans to aid those struggling with addiction, Zimbabwe is only concentrating in advocating harsher penalties.

Of late, Mvurwi has recorded the highest number of boys with mental illness related to drugs and substance abuse, whilst girls have recently joined in.

Authorities' reluctance in taming the scourge has raised suspicion that they may be receiving kickbacks from drug peddlers in their quest to evade imminent arrests. Some residents further blamed the police for being part of the drug cartel.