Cape task team to be trained by DEA

Johannesburg - Members of Cape Town's drug and gang task team will receive training from the US's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Mayor Patricia de Lille said on Tuesday.

"The United States government has invested R10m in our metro police through drug enforcement training, study tours to the United States, School Resource Officer training and FBI management training."

She said that eight members of the city’s safety and security directorate would attend the advanced drug agent course in Gaborone, Botswana, from 26 to 30 January.

"We would like to express our gratitude to the United States government for bearing the cost of our delegates’ travel, meals, accommodation and local transport," De Lille said.

The course would develop skills required for counter-drug investigations and include more advanced topics such as clandestine laboratories, and managing undercover operations.

Over the last four years, the city's safety and security directorate had received extensive training from the DEA, she said.

"During their most recent drug bust, the unit confiscated hashish, cocaine and two wine bottles filled with suspected liquid MDMA with a street value of more than R1m," De Lille said.

During 2014, Cape Town metro police made 2042 drug-related arrests and confiscated 43 020 units of drugs.

"These successes are the direct result of the intelligence-driven operations of the Gang and Drug Task Team, which can be attributed to the training our officers have received from the DEA."