Multi-million-rand drug bust lands foreign nationals behind bars
A police dog sniffed out R53m worth of crystal meth in the drug bust.
Two Mozambican nationals were arrested on Tuesday, January 17 after a stop-and-search operation by the Kaapmuiden SAPS and Komatipoort K9 unit resulted in R53m worth of drugs being seized.
According to a provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, 58 plastic bags containing 53kg of the extremely addictive drug, crystal methamphetamine, were recovered.
The recovery led to the arrest of two Mozambican nationals, Reginald Francisco De Maura Tomàs (32) and Reginaldo Joào Tomàs (30), on Tuesday at about 10:00 at the Nkomazi Toll Plaza.
Mohlala said, “In the blink of an eye, a police dog sniffed out the drugs which were concealed in various compartments in the suspects’ Gauteng registered vehicle. Preliminary investigations indicated that the vehicle was not reported stolen.”
Both suspects made a brief appearance in the Barberton Magistrate’s Court yesterday and were remanded in custody for the second court appearance in the Low’s Creek Magistrate’s Court today, Thursday January 19.
The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela, applauded the members for the outstanding work done and indicated that at no stage will Mpumalanga be used as a smooth passage for drug traffickers.
