CRIME: Drug dealer caught hiding in kennel jailed for 15 years
Police found Mandrax worth R112 000 hidden in a kennel and pipes during a raid at a Madadeni home.
A drug dealer who hid in a dog kennel in a bid to evade arrest after he was jailed for 15 years when he appeared in the Madadeni Regional Court
Mduduzi Jerome Kunene, 57, was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara (NPA Regional Spokesperson – KZN Division) said his arrest on October 11, 2023, followed a joint operation led by SAPS at a house in Section 3 in Madadeni.
When the team, led by Warrant Officer Gerald Mfanafikile Nyembe, arrived at the property they found it surrounded by a high perimeter wall topped with razor wire and broken glass.
“Police shouted to gain entry, prompting Kunene to flee into the house and disappear,” she explained.
Using bolt cutters, SAPS officers cut through the locks and entered the premises. Armed with a search warrant, they eventually found Kunene hiding inside a dog kennel.
Nyembe requested permission to search the property, which Kunene granted.
“No one else was present on the premises,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
“During the search officers discovered the drugs hidden inside the kennel and inside drainpipes.
“1 851 full Mandrax tablets, 38 half Mandrax tablets, and approximately R1 300 in cash were seized during the raid with an estimated street value of around R112 000.”
Kunene was arrested and charged with dealing in drugs.
In court, State prosecutor Zama Zikalala led the evidence of the forensic analyst, who confirmed that the seized exhibits were Mandrax.
Additional testimony was provided by the exhibit clerk and other SAPS members.
Kunene denied any involvement and claimed that the drugs had been planted by the police. However, an inspection in loco supported the state’s case regarding the hiding places in the drainpipes and kennel.
In aggravation of the sentence, Zikalala told the court that drug trafficking contributed to substance abuse, crime and poverty.
He said targeting drug dealers helps to reduce supply and combat the problem at its source.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the outcome, saying that drug abuse and related crimes remain prevalent.
“It expressed hope that the sentence will demonstrate the NPA’s commitment together with law enforcement partners to combating the sale and distribution of illegal drugs,” concluded Ramkisson-Kara.
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