BULAWAYO – A former police officer has been arrested together with two other accomplices for allegedly possessing and dealing in illegal drugs.

The arrest follows a police raid at an Entumbane suburb home where the trio was allegedly conducting its illegal activities.

The former police officer was identified as Elton Ndlovu, 37, while his accomplices were named as Asprila Maphosa, 27, and Lydia Ndlovu, 23.

The three, according to Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube Wednesday, have been arrested before on other offences.

Following the raid, police recovered quantities of BronCleer, dagga, njengu, empty containers used to smoke crystal meth, skin lightening creams and gun powder.

Ncube said the arrest of the three was part of the law enforcement organisation’s ongoing operation to flash out drug trafficking syndicates that have mushroomed in the country’s second largest city.

“This operation is part of many others that are being done by the Zimbabwe Republic Police Entumbane and also a follow-up to some reports that 17 youths from Entumbane were hospitalised for drug abuse.

“Police received information to the effect that there were two houses with people involved in dangerous drugs.

“We used that information to apply for a search warrant which empowered our police officers to search the two houses,” Ncube told the media Wednesday.

Drug abuse is now prevalent especially among youths in the city.

The effects of substance abuse have been dire with 17 youths recently admitted at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, a mental health institution, after they reportedly over indulged on crystal methamphetamine (meth).

Inspector Ncube urged parents and guardians to watch behavioural changes in their children in order to dictate possible drug use cases.