Hawks discover apartment being used as drug lab in Cape Town

The Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau team based in Bellville together with Counter Narcotics and Gangs as well as Special Task Force in the Western Cape clamped down on the trafficking of drugs.

While conducting an intelligence driven operation in Cape Town on Friday, The Hawks found an apartment being used as a drug laboratory.  

The Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau team based in Bellville, together with the Counter Narcotics and Gangs unit as well as the Special Task Force in the Western Cape, raided two houses. 

Drugs found

At one of the houses, the team found a vehicle with packets of drugs inside it.  

“Upon searching the vehicle three packets (3 000 tablets) as well as undisclosed amount of cash were found, which led to an arrest of a 44-year-old driver of the vehicle. The team then took the driver to his next address, upon arriving at the premises which was also searched, 59 packets of Mandrax as well as 28kg of tik were also found,” said Hawks spokesperson warrant officer Zinzi Hani. 

It was then established that the apartment is used as a drug laboratory.  

The street value of all the drugs seized is more than R6.4 million.

READ ALSO: Police seize R65 million worth of cocaine in Gqeberha port drug bust

The suspect is due to make his first appearance on Monday.

R151 million of cocaine seized

Meanwhile, last week police seized cocaine worth R151 million in Durban.

The massive drug bust was made at the Durban Harbour. 

READ ALSO: Over R150 million worth of cocaine seized at Durban Harbour

Meat boxes

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the men and women in blue are determined to disrupt and dislodge the work of international organised crime syndicates involved in the drug trade.

“Members were following up on intelligence and monitored a container that was on a vessel from Brazil. A multidisciplinary team inspected the container at a cold storage facility and found 433 blocks of cocaine disguised in meat boxes.

Additional reporting  Faizel Patel