Drugs confiscated by police during a bust earlier this week. Picture: X / @SAPoliceService
Two foreign nationals have been arrested in separate drug busts worth a combined R490,000.
A Somalian was arrested in Johannesburg after being caught with R350,000 worth of methcathinone, while a foreign national of unspecified origin was arrested in Bloemfontein for carrying R140,000 of the same drug.
Collaboration between Gauteng and Free State crime intelligence units led to the arrest near Booysens on Monday, with the second suspect nabbed in Navalsig on Wednesday.
The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit used the gathered intelligence to set up the first arrest.
At roughly 4pm on 21 October, the unit pounced on a red Hyundai Elantra at the BP garage Oasis M1, finding 14 boxes of methcathinone.
Police weighed the drugs in at 100kgs, valuing the haul at R350,000.
Mohamed Deeq Abdulahi Aadam, a 39-year-old Somalian was arrested and he appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court two days later.
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In Bloemfontein, a suspect’s VW Polo collided with a police vehicle as he was attempting to flee the scene of an alleged drug deal.
Police observed a suspicious vehicle near the city’s CBD and followed him to Raymond Mhlaba Street where he allegedly made a delivery.
When approached, the suspect attempted to flee. Following the collision, police searched the vehicle and found R141,000 worth of methcathinone, some of it hidden in the vehicle’s ventilators.
“A 32-year-old foreign national will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court soon on a charge of possession of drugs and reckless and negligent driving,” confirmed Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Sinah Mpakane.
Prolonged use of methcathinone damages areas of the brain responsible for movement and speech and a study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed users developed Parkinson’s disease at an earlier age.
The Hawks reminded the public of the dangers of drug addiction, with Gauteng Head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa saying that trafficking and abuse were critical issues.
“The illegal drug trade poses significant risks to individual health and public safety. Substance abuse can lead to addiction, severe health problems, and a cycle of criminal activity,” stated Kadwa.
“Law enforcement remains vigilant and committed to combating drug-related crimes,” he concluded.
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