Multi-million rand drug bust
The infiltration of drugs and illegal firearms in the Drakensberg and surrounding areas prompted a planned police operation last Wednesday. Just as darkness settled in, officers from the Pietermaritzburg Mounted Unit and Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife launched their operation in the Upper Tugela area. They pounced on a group of people in the Sandlwana Location in …

The infiltration of drugs and illegal firearms in the Drakensberg and surrounding areas prompted a planned police operation last Wednesday.
Just as darkness settled in, officers from the Pietermaritzburg Mounted Unit and Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife launched their operation in the Upper Tugela area.
They pounced on a group of people in the Sandlwana Location in Bergville where dagga and an unlicensed firearm and ammunition were recovered.
Police spokesperson Colonel Jay Naicker said that 13 suspects were arrested and will be appearing in the Bergville Magistrates Court.
“The suspects were found in possession of at total of 1.8 tons of dagga as well as an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Police received information that the suspects were herding 30 donkeys with 66 bags of dagga worth R3.6 million,” he said.
The donkeys, that were in a “very poor state” were seized and will be inspected by a veterinarian.
Police also recovered a 9mm pistol and eight rounds of ammunition from one of the arrested suspects.
This multi-million rand bust has been praised by Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni who congratulated the officers on another successful operation in the area.
“We are concerned that such a large consignment of drugs was being brought into the Province and we will be working very closely with prosecutors to ensure that we deal decisively with these criminals.
Their actions are contributing to other crimes in the Province and we will continue to monitor activities on this known drug route,” she said.