Highway collision leads to huge drug arrest

An accident on the N12 involving three cars lead police to arrest two suspects for allegedly dealing in dagga when they were found with 100kg of it.

Emergency personnel stabilizing the seriously injured driver who was charged with dealing in drugs.

Paramedics arrived on the scene of the accident at about 15:00 on December 20 to find a bakkie that crashed into the side of a Volkswagen that was making a U turn on the highway.

The drugs that were confiscated after the arrest on December 20.

The bakkie jack-knifed the vehicle and then crashed into an Opel Corsa that was stationary on the side of the road.
Apparently one of the occupants in the bakkie tried to hide the estimated 100kg of drugs in the nearby bushes when they were caught in the act by authorities.

The suspect was arrested by the Witbank SAPS on the scene while the driver who sustained serious injuries was treated by emergency personnel and accompanied by the SAPS to Witbank Hospital. He has also been charged with dealing in drugs which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years if convicted and a maximum of 25 years depending on the ruling made by the magistrate.

The Hilux Bakkie that was carrying the drugs after the collision on December 20.

They appeared in the eMalahleni Magistrates Court for an initial hearing on December 21.

“Criminal elements transferring drugs through eMalahleni to other towns and provinces will be caught and will have to face the full force of the law,” said Capt Eddie Hall the spokesperson for the Witbank SAPS.

He added that operations are in place to open up strategies for catching these syndicates as drugs are usually smuggled in from Mozambique and travels through eMalahleni to get to Gauteng and the rest of the country.
The drugs are estimated to be worth about R100 000.