Western Cape police recover over R5m worth of drugs in operations

Police in the Western Cape have managed to recover a total of 41 000 mandrax tablets with a massive street value of over R2 million, resulting in the arrest of a 33-year-old woman.

According to a police report, the drugs were recovered during a stop and search on the N7 Klawer weighbridge.

Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, said police officials attached to the West Coast District, Provincial Operational Command Centre and Provincial Traffic Unit conducted a stop and search operation on Wednesday, 26 April 2023, and during this time, they noticed a suspicious looking vehicle driving past.

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Van Wyk said that the officers stopped the vehicle and told the female driver that they were going to search it.

“It was then that they discovered packs of neatly packaged mandrax tablets. He confirmed that there were around 41 000 individual tablets in packs, in totally.”

He said that the estimated street value on the drugs is around R2 050 000.

“The driver, a 33-year-old female, was arrested and detained. She is due to appear in the Klawer Magistrate’s Court on a charge of dealing in drugs,” he said.

Hotel room raid  

Captain van Wyk also told of a second incident occurring on the same day, where members of Table View Saps received a tip-off about a foreign national who was allegedly booked in a hotel room on Marine Drive in Table View, suspected to be a drug courier.

Acting on this information, Saps raided the room, only to find it empty.

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“However, upon searching the room, the police discovered 13 containers, weighing a total of 13kg, filled with tik. The estimated street value of the seized drugs is R3.2 million,” he said.

He confirmed that all the tik was seized and has been booked in as evidence. The matter has now been handed over to the Hawks, who are currently investigating the incident.