A vehicle valued at R280 000 has officially been forfeited to the state following an order granted by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court on Monday, November 3.

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The forfeiture stems from an incident on January 17, 2023, when members of the Hectorspruit K9 Unit stopped and searched a VW Jetta shortly after it passed through the Nkomazi Toll Plaza in Kaapmuiden, en route to Mbombela.

During the search, officers uncovered 58 packets of a substance suspected to be crystal meth, hidden in a false compartment in the base of the vehicle. The drugs had an estimated street value of R8.7m.

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The two Mozambican nationals, Francisco De Maura Tomas Reginaldo and Joao Tomas Reginaldo, were arrested at the scene. They were later released on bail and subsequently returned to their country of origin. Both the suspected drugs and the vehicle were seized.

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The case was subsequently referred to the Hawks’ Priority Crime Specialised Investigation team for an asset investigation. Working together with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, the matter was finalised and the court issued the forfeiture order.