3 suspects arrested for instructing boy (4) to take drugs confess to giving him mandrax

JOHANNESBURG - Police have confirmed that three suspects arrested for instructing a four-year-old boy to smoke drugs have confessed to giving him mandrax.

The trio was nabbed after a video clip of the act went viral earlier this week.

In the footage, the suspects encourage the child to smoke and a woman identified as his mother is seen smoking drugs from a pipe before handing it to the boy.

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Police said that all three suspects admitted to their involvement during questioning.

The three suspects who are seen on video encouraging the boy to smoke were arrested on Tuesday and were detained at the Sophiatown Police Station.

Police said they were given a tip-off soon after the video went viral, which led them to a house in Newclare, Johannesburg.

This is the same house that the four-year-old’s mother, along with two other people, were seen encouraging the child to consume drugs.

Johannesburg Metro Police Department spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the Newclare community was concerned about the situation.

"The JMPD commends the vigilance of the community member who provided the tip-off, enabling a rapid response and ensuring the child's safety. This successful operation underscores the JMPD's unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and holding accountable those who endanger them."

The four-year-old is now under the care of the police service’s child protection unit.