Man arrested after found with Mandrax worth R2.7 million

A suspected drug trafficker was arrested on the N2 near Strand heading towards Cape Town at the weekend in possession of drugs worth R2.7 million.

“The 34-year-old suspect was nabbed following a multidisciplinary operation led by the Hawks’ Narcotics Enforcement Bureau team based in Bellville, together with the Western Cape Crime Intelligence’s Counter Narcotics and Gangs [unit],” said Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani.

Hidden in false compartment

The team acted on information about a suspect who was travelling from Eastern Cape to Cape Town with a truck loaded with Mandrax tablets.

The Hawks’ team spotted the vehicle matching the description, and stopped and searched it. A total of 61 000 Mandrax tablets were found in a hidden compartment inside the truck. 

The suspect was arrested and the drugs were seized.

The 34-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Strand Magistrate’s Court on 14 November on a charge of dealing in drugs.

READ ALSO: Hawks take down huge Southern Cape drug syndicate

Another drug bust

Meanwhile, the police made a massive drug bust at a port in Gqeberha earlier this month.

Members of the South African Police Service (Saps) attached to the Gqerberha Sea Port seized cocaine with the street value of about R65 million from a vessel that had entered the country from Brazil.

According to national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the police followed up on intelligence when they intercepted the vessel as it was docking on 2 November and found 35 blocks of cocaine compressed into blocks.

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

‘Clamping down of criminality’

There were two other busts in KwaZulu-Natal, where the police seized cocaine worth R150 million.

On 18 October, the police in KwaZulu-Natal made a massive drug bust of cocaine worth R70 million at Durban Harbour.

Two days later, another bust of cocaine with a street value of R80 million was made at a warehouse at Dube Trade Port within the King Shaka International Airport.

National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola commended the team for the latest bust and the police across the country for clamping down on all forms of criminality.

Additional reporting Chulumanco Mahamba