A 33-year-old man will appear in the Strand Magistrate’s Court on Monday, on charges of dealing in drugs after he was nabbed with Mandrax with an estimated street value of R2 million.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said the suspect was arrested on Friday as he was heading to the Eastern Cape.
“At about 4.20pm an estimated value of R2m worth of Mandrax was confiscated from a vehicle on the N2 near Sir Lowry's Pass, heading to Cape Town from Eastern Cape.
The confiscation is a result of a swift reaction on information received by members of the Hawks SA Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb) and Crime Intelligence's Counter Narcotics and Gangs in the Western Cape regarding a vehicle transporting drugs from Eastern Cape to Cape Town,” said Hani.
According to Hani, the vehicle was spotted, thereafter stopped and searched.
“On closer inspection, 50 packets (50 000) of Mandrax were found in a false compartment in the back of the vehicle. The driver was immediately arrested,” said Hani.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident two suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs and will appear in the Kuilsriver Magistrate’s Court.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said the arrests come as part of an interprovincial operation.
“An interprovincial integrated operation yielded positive results when police members detained two foreign nationals on charges of dealing in drugs on Saturday. Colesburg SAPS intercepted a truck destined for Cape Town on Friday, April 19, 2024.
“When they searched the trailer, they found 12 boxes of drugs on board. After interrogating the driver he indicated his willingness to co-operate with a controlled delivery to Cape Town. The investigation team requested the assistance from their counterparts from Organised Crime Investigations in the Western Cape.
“On Saturday, April 20, the truck stopped at a filling station on the N1 Highway in Worcester with police in close proximity. The driver delivered the parcels to two unknown males who paid him for his part of the deal, transporting the drugs. After the deal was completed the police closed the net and detained the two suspects aged 38 and 42 on a charge of dealing in drugs,” said Swartbooi.
Cape Times