A warehouse situated in the Riverhose Valley in Durban has been seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a joint statement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks), they said the property which is valued at over R29.7 million, was seized on the basis that it was instrumental in the commission of the offence of manufacturing and dealing drugs.
NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said on March 6, 2024, Hawks officials entered the property after receiving information regarding drug dealing.
“Various drug manufacturing paraphernalia as well as large amounts of chemicals and waste materials or sludge were found on the property,” Ramkisson-Kara.
“The property was used to facilitate or make possible the manufacture of drugs.”
Ramkisson-Kara said reports from the South African Police Service Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed that the types of exhibits found on the property are alike to those found at the scene of a clandestine drug lab.
The NPA said the property would remain in the custody of the curator pending a forfeiture application.
“A criminal investigation is also under way.”
The NPA said the success of this application is due to the joint efforts of the DPCI and the NPA (AFU) in KZN, proving that stakeholder collaboration is key in the fight against crime.
IOL News