Man appears in Carolina Magistrate’s Court following R75m heroin bust

A 49-year-old truck driver has been remanded in custody following his appearance in the Carolina Magistrate’s Court yesterday, July 19, after he was allegedly found in possession of R75m’s worth of heroin near eManzana recently.

The Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said the foreign national, Bonginkosi Cyril Gamedze, has been charged with dealing in drugs.

A tip-off from the White River K9 Unit led to his arrest.

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Hi-Tech Barberton had assisted the SAPS in stopping the truck, according to a post on its Facebook page, which showed the truck surrounded by the police and Hi-Tech vehicles.

According to a statement by the Hawks’ spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, the drugs were being transported from Mozambique and were destined for the international market.

She said the White River K9 Unit had reported information to the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb) of the Hawks, regarding a truck possibly transporting drugs. She said the Hawks’ Secunda Saneb, with the assistance of the Elukwatini Local Criminal Record Centre, the Elukwatini Fire Department and the SAPS Badplaas, were on the scene and escorted it back to the station.

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She said the fire department assisted with the opening of a concealed compartment in which 250 1kg bricks of heroin, with an estimated street value of R75m, were discovered.

Mogale said an investigation is under way to determine how the truck had managed to enter South Africa without being thoroughly checked at the border.
Nyuswa said the case was remanded to July 27 for bail information and a possible bail application.

* This article has been amended. Nyuswa had initially told Lowvelder the accused’s name was Bonginkosi Cyril Nzimande. The accused’s surname is Gamedze, and not Nzimande.