MALALANE – Following an anonymous tip-off, police discovered an illegal two-hectare dagga plantation on Nala Farm outside Malalane on Sunday afternoon.
According to the spokesman for the police station, Sgt Bheki Nkosi, officers went out to the remote location and started the search. They soon discovered the area where dagga plants had been hidden among the bush. As they approached, they were spotted by a man, who promptly ran away.
“The officers only saw a flash of clothing and shouted at the suspect to stop. When he didn’t obey, they followed him further into the plantation, which seemed to be endless. The man managed to escape,” Nkosi said. Two suspects have since been arrested in connection with the case and will remain in custody until their court appearance.
Nkosi reported that the estimated street value of the dagga is R200 000, but they are still in the process of verifying this. “Since we found trees of dagga, we will weigh them as such instead of bags as we usually do,” he added. Police suspect that the farm was established a long time ago because of the size of the plants and the advanced irrigation system.
By Tuesday afternoon they were still active on the scene, removing and collecting the dagga. Nkosi said they would burn the whole lot and were also investigating other nearby estates to locate any other dagga plantations.
He warned these farmers that the police would catch them soon enough and urged community members to continue phoning them with tip-offs regarding illegal activities. “More and more community members are working with the police, and we acknowledge and appreciate their contributions. When we all work together, we can definitely fight crime and rid it for good,” he stated.
