Three arrested over sewage drug stash

THE Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Namibian Police at Walvis Bay on Friday arrested three young men for allegedly dealing in drugs.

Police swooped on the trio when they tried to recover 506 Mandrax tablets, valued at N$30 360, that were hidden underground in an enclosed plastic container at the town’s sewage works. According to the investigating officer, the Police received a tip-off on where the drugs were stashed from a member of the public.The Drug Law Enforcement Unit staked out the place and caught the three suspects when they allegedly tried to retrieve the drugs.Granville Llewellyn Noble (20) and two brothers, Elton (28) and Marlon Summers (23), appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court on Friday.The case was postponed to September 3 for laboratory results.The three each received bail of N$10 000, which they immediately paid in cash.Noble, who has a previous drug conviction, is the son of Gavin Noble.Gavin Noble had a drug case against him withdrawn temporarily in February as the court was still waiting for lab results.The results had been outstanding for more than a year.There is a huge backlog at the country’s only forensic laboratory.As a result, many drug-related cases have had to be temporarily withdrawn until the results become available.Last week the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund Magistrate’s Courts had to temporarily withdraw two and three cases respectively because of a lack of lab results.The cases will be re-opened and the suspects charged again as soon as the results become available.According to the investigating officer, the Police received a tip-off on where the drugs were stashed from a member of the public.The Drug Law Enforcement Unit staked out the place and caught the three suspects when they allegedly tried to retrieve the drugs.Granville Llewellyn Noble (20) and two brothers, Elton (28) and Marlon Summers (23), appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court on Friday.The case was postponed to September 3 for laboratory results.The three each received bail of N$10 000, which they immediately paid in cash.Noble, who has a previous drug conviction, is the son of Gavin Noble.Gavin Noble had a drug case against him withdrawn temporarily in February as the court was still waiting for lab results.The results had been outstanding for more than a year.There is a huge backlog at the country’s only forensic laboratory.As a result, many drug-related cases have had to be temporarily withdrawn until the results become available.Last week the Walvis Bay and Swakopmund Magistrate’s Courts had to temporarily withdraw two and three cases respectively because of a lack of lab results.The cases will be re-opened and the suspects charged again as soon as the results become available.