Suspect arrested for smuggling dagga in gas cylinder

The weed discovered has an estimated street value of about R18 127,20 and weighs 4,316 kilograms.

Gas cylinder used as new tactic by alleged dagga traffickers. Photo: Saps

A 31-year-old suspect was arrested at the Mahamba Port of Entry, Mpumalanga, after allegedly smuggling drugs in a gas cylinder on Monday.

The dagga discovered is valued at R18 127,20 and weighs 4,316 kilograms.

Police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli said: “Yesterday, a new tactic was discovered by the police officers when an undocumented foreign national from the Kingdom of Eswatini was nabbed with a gas cylinder which was sealed, but fully loaded with dagga.

“The suspect was spotted by police officials with a plastic bag containing the gas cylinder.”

Suspicion

Mdhluli said after police got suspicious, the cylinder which appeared sealed was thoroughly checked but police still suspected that it contained something else – other than gas.

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“The suspect was arrested and charged for possession of dagga as well as being in the republic without valid documentation.”

Meanwhile, police in Mpumalanga say they have strengthened security majors when it comes to dagga trafficking from neighbouring countries, including the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The provincial commissioner of the Saps in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has lauded her colleagues for being vigilant and making sure the guilty party is apprehended.

The suspect appeared at the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

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Separate incident

At the beginning of May, police in Thembalihle, near Vrede in the Free State, made a major drug bust, seizing dagga with an estimated street value of R170 000.

According to police, the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Task Team made the discovery after receiving a tip-off about suspicious activity in the area.

Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, said at the time that the team arrived at a house in Thembalihle and found buckets filled with dagga.

“We believe that the suspect was involved in the sale of the drug, and are currently conducting further investigations into the matter,” he confirmed.

Additional reporting by Devina Haripersad.

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