A high ranking official within the provincial safety and liaison directorate has expressed his shock and disappointment after his adult son was arrested for allegedly selling drugs to high school pupils in East London.
Twenty-nine-year-old son Neelan Naidoo was bust last Saturday for allegedly dealing drugs to children as young as 13.
Naidoo junior is the son of Neil Naidoo, an experienced crime fighting official and current chief director of community safety in the Eastern Cape department of safety and liaison.
“Obviously I was shocked and I was unaware of it,” Naidoo senior told the Daily Dispatch at the weekend.
He said when he heard of the arrest he was in Humansdorp where he was meeting with cluster commander Brigadier Neil Jantjies and station commanders of all nine police stations under Humansdorp.
“When I learned of my son’s arrest I immediately informed my department to say I was not happy about this . I do a lot of work in the province and I am always saying ‘let’s expose those who are selling liquor illegally and those who are selling drugs let’s deal with them decisively,” Naidoo said.
He had dealt with the matter decisively as both a father and safety official, he said: “Simply because one of my functions is to discourage children from using drugs and alcohol.
“I even spoke to my own attorney to say I want strict bail conditions hence he will sign in two days a week at the police station and no interactions with anybody,” said Naidoo snr.
Naidoo jnr sold dagga, ecstasy and cocaine in a trap to a member of the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb) dressed as a school boy.
According to the charge sheet he sold the drugs to the officer on three occasions – in Vincent, Braelyn and Amalinda – where he was finally arrested.
On the first occasion he sold the officer dagga, on the second occasion ecstasy and third occasion cocaine and dagga.
He has since been released on R5000 bail and will appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on February 2 2017.
Part of his bail condition is that he reports to the Duncan Village police station every Monday and Friday.
Naidoo snr said he did not for a minute condone his son’s alleged actions although he paid the R5000 bail for him to be released. “His mother and I paid bail. I can’t let him suffer in jail when the magistrate granted bail. I’m sure like any other person who is a suspect there is a right to a bail,” said Naidoo.
The unit’s investigation was carried out over two months and specifically focused only on those dealers selling to pupils.
Saneb is the Hawks’ drug law enforcement and intelligence agency responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances. The unit was introduced into the Eastern Cape earlier this year.