Buffalo City Metro security cluster, led by disaster management, East London police, and the Eastern Cape Human Rights and Missing Persons Unit, is on full alert following the discovery of an assortment of pharmaceutical products washed ashore along the East London coastline recently.
The Eastern Cape Human Rights and Missing Persons Unit (ECHRMPU) collected several pharmaceutical products, including medical assortments, believed to have been washed ashore along the Buffalo City coastline and nearby areas.
The pharmaceutical assortment included Schedule 3 medicine, bottled medicine, and pills. Buffalo City Metro spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya, said the Metro’s security cluster, led by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other stakeholders, is conducting patrols and clean-up operations along the Buffalo City coastline area to ensure the safety and well-being of the community.
“The security cluster urges members of the public not to collect or consume pharmaceutical products that were washed away along the East London coastline,” said Ngwenya.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that a cargo ship container was washed ashore off the East Coast near Port St. Johns last week. SAMSA also reported pharmaceutical containers, including pills, have been washed ashore in the Ndlambe municipal area, including Port Alfred, Kenton-On-Sea, Cannon Rocks, and Bokness areas, since Monday, September 9.
Ngwenya said pharmaceutical products were spotted along the Buffalo City coastline area last week, and a temporary drop-off point has been set up along Kaysers Beach as it was suspected that other products may have been taken by residents in nearby areas.
Ngwenya said in light of these developments, the security cluster was deployed to conduct patrols and clean-up operations along the coastline areas.
The cluster urges communities to be vigilant and report any suspected pharmaceutical containers found on the coastline to authorities.
The ECHRMPU estimated that over 100 pharmaceutical products may have gone missing from a container ship sailing between Durban and Gqebera via East London during the heavy and rough seas due to inclement weather conditions.
The East London-based human rights institution advocates for missing and trafficked persons and various other human rights violations.
