Foreign national nabbed with cocaine worth over R2 million

The case against a 45-year-old man charged with drug possession and trafficking after smuggling cocaine into the country has been postponed to 12 September.

The cocaine’s estimated street of over R2 million.

John Laurent Dimoso appeared in the Zeerust Magistrate Court in the North West province on Monday.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the matter was set for a formal bail application, however, the state is yet to verify his residential address in Cape Town, as it intends to oppose bail, owing to the serious nature of the offence.

“He was verified to be legal in the country.”

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Mamothame said Dimoso was arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation, in Mahikeng, and officials of the Swartkopfontein Port of Entry, for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth approximately R2.2 million, through the border between the Northwest Province and Botswana, on 28 August 2022.

“The report further indicated that the multi-disciplinary team was conducting cross-border operations on Sunday, which resulted in the arrest of the suspect in a taxi travelling from Botswana to South Africa, was searched and three bags of cocaine were allegedly found hidden in false compartments of his two backpacks.”

Mamothame said Dimoso will remain in police custody until his next court appearance.

In a separate incident, a 33-year-old suspect, arrested in George, is due in court on Monday to face charges of cultivating and dealing in drugs.

A three-month-long operation by police in the Western Cape resulted in a drugs bust worth a massive R1.1 million.

The swoop began back in June when officers received a tip-off regarding illegal activities at a house in George.

On Friday, Western Cape narcotics officers, together with Garden Route District Intelligence and George Crime Prevention Unit carried out a search of the premises and discovered an indoor dagga cultivation lab where high-quality dagga was being cultivated.

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