Police target illegal betel nut markets

ILLEGAL betel nut markets around the National Capital District (NCD) are seen as areas where petty criminals and thugs loiter, sometimes under the pretext of selling betel nut and waiting for opportunities to accost and steal from the people.
In a police statement released yesterday, police recorded that everyday crimes such as bag snatching, fighting or drinking in public places were mostly initiated at public places where betel nut is sold (illegal markets).
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika issued instructions to police officers to carry out raids on illegal betel nut markets and stop people from congregating at these places.
Sika said in the police statement that vendors needed to stop using excuses that life in the city was hard and doing street vending was their only means to support themselves.
“Street vending is illegal,” he said.
“There are proper markets that are built around the city for us to use.
“Public places like bus stops and footpaths are not market places, we must learn to respect these public spaces,” Sika said.
Meanwhile, Sika visited 30 detainees at the Badili Police Station cells on Tuesday and told them to change their behaviour and become assets in their communities.
The detainees were in custody for various offences including loitering, theft and bag snatching and similar offences.
The detainees are from Goilala, Central and reside at Two-Mile hill settlement which is a crime hotspot in the city.
Sika said the police would continue cleaning up the city to stop street vending and daily criminal offences and promote a clean city in NCD.