Ayres, together with Bulgarian national Valeri Nikolov were arrested in possession of the party drug ecstasy worth an estimated R85 million when they were pulled over on the N4 highway near the Middelburg Toll Plaza.

The men have been in custody since then and have had their formal bail application postponed several times because of the magnitude of the investigation by the elite police unit, the Hawks.

Three more suspects were arrested in Durban hours after the arrest of Ayres and Nikolov in Middelburg.

Gareth John Bisset, Sakhile Dlamini and John Mupumulu have appeared in the Pine Town Magistrate’s Court where Bisset was released on bail last week.

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Bisset and Ayres are said to be business partners, co-owning the popular Durban nightclub Keys.

Except for the R1 million bail money, Ayres also gave up his two properties in Durban as security and have to report to the Durban police station once a day.

Nikolov will remain in custody. They will appear in court in Middelburg again in January.