Saps destroy R800 million worth of drugs linked to high-profile cases

In an effort to clamp down on the drug trade in South Africa, police have destroyed millions of rands worth of drugs linked to high-profile cases.

On Thursday, the South African Police Service (Saps) destroyed drugs worth a total of R800 million in Johannesburg.

This was the third drug destruction process in this financial year, and the most recent destruction was in Cape Town in September, where 1.7 tonnes to the value of R170 million were destroyed.

According to the Saps, 20.8 tonnes of drugs with a street value of R2 billion were destroyed in the 2022/2023 financial year.

The drugs, including cocaine, heroin, mandrax, and marijuana, were confiscated during day-to-day operations across the country.

Drugs linked to high-profile cases

In Thursday’s destruction, the drugs were linked to a number of high-profile cases, including the Maydon Wharf case, where more than a tonne of cocaine worth R400 million was sieved in August.

“Ebrahim Kara, Elias Radebe, and Meshack Ngobese were arrested in Cape Town after a truck transporting more than 600 blocks of cocaine was stopped by police and the drugs were discovered hidden in false wooden boards,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.

“This matter was finalised, and Kara was handed down an eight-year sentence while Radebe and Ngobese were handed down one-year and six-year imprisonment sentences, respectively.”

The 1.3 tonnes of illegal pharmaceutical medicines in the form of tablets and capsules, such as non-registered Viagra, confiscated in operations across the country were also destroyed.

Mathe added all the confiscated drugs are subjected to forensic testing on a regular basis.

ALSO READ: Customs officials jailed after accomplice who swallowed 89 balls of cocaine turns state witness

“These drug exhibit materials that were destroyed today were done so after a thorough process which followed the conclusion of a court order, confirming the finalisation of cases,” said Mathe.

She added all drug exhibit materials that were destroyed were audited to ensure compliance with the set standard.

The national commissioner of the Saps, General Fannie Masemola, who presided over the destruction, said the people are making inroads in clamping down on the drug trade in South Africa.

“It is also encouraging that through Operation Shanela 15 400 suspects were arrested by our police officers for being in possession of drugs to date. Another 7 000 were arrested for dealing in drugs,” Masemola said.

“The recent drug confiscation of R150 million rand of cocaine in KwaZulu-Natal also illustrates the cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the world in clamping down on transnational organised crime.

” Indeed, our intelligence structures are hard at work in preventing and putting a stop to the drug trade in the country and beyond,” Masemola said.

ALSO READ: Durban Harbour ‘shipping news’: Two massive drug seizures net cocaine worth R150m