Four people have been detained by the police in connection with the sale and distribution of cookies, pancakes, and other delicacies that were laced with drugs to schoolchildren and other unaware members of the public.
The four suspects have been named as Racheal Matsanga, Suleiman Kasozi, Joshua Ayo, and Mbamazi Jovia by police spokesperson Fred Enanga.
He claimed that these were working out of Kungu in the Kira Division and supplying regions in Bugolobi, Kulambiro, and Kira.
He disclosed that the drug bust was conducted following the suspension of 10 pupils from one of the high schools who had ordered the drug-laced cookies and eaten them during a school party.
They insisted that the drug-laced cookies gave them a “go-high,” which allowed them to fully enjoy the celebration. The 10 kids implicated in the scandal were promptly suspended once the school discovered the drug-laced cookies, according to Enanga.
The school administration also worked with the police, he continued, and this resulted in the arrest of the three other conspirators as well as the boda boda rider who supplied the snacks to the schools.
He claimed that the labels on the packages recovered were similar to those on other snack foods sold in stores, making it impossible for young teenagers in schools to distinguish between the two before eating the snacks.
Enanga urged children and parents to exercise caution, warning that the goods’ side effects can include drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, a rapid heartbeat, and blurred vision, among others.
“This is risky given the vulnerable age range of 13 to 20 years in high schools and the health issues they experience while using these items. Lethargy, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, blurred vision, stomach pains, and other strange symptoms are possible side effects, he added.
He mentioned that the four suspects will face narcotics trafficking charges for allegedly selling marijuana-laced snacks and sweets.
