TWELVE people were arrested in a joint operation between members of the SAPS and Durban Metro police on Monday following a tip-off that a house on Chartwell Drive was being used as a drug den. The arrested suspects included six women and five men and a Burundian national.

Police found a total of 100 000 mandrax tablets, sugars as well as heroin powder with street value of approximately R5-million. Some of the suspects were found allegedly packing the drugs into straws destined for the street market. Two children aged 9 and 3 years-old were taken to a place of safety.

In another joint operation the Durban Central Cluster Task Team raided an internet cafe in the Point area where they two suspects were arrested for fraud and a number of fake certificates were recovered.  It is alleged the suspects were making fake matric certificates and selling them from R1500 to R2000 each. 13 computers suspected to be used during the printing of fake matric certificates were recovered.

Provincial Commissioner for KZN, Lt General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, commended the police officers for their commitment to rid our streets of drug dealers. “While we as police continue to break the backs of drug dealers we implore other role-players in the community to address the root causes that lead to our youth turning to drugs at such a young age,” she said.