The mayor of Tshwane, Randall Williams, has praised the city’s Metro Police Department (TMPD) for arresting 11 Nigerian nationals this week for possession of drugs worth about R700,000 each.
“I would like to congratulate the TMPD Drug Unit on a highly successful drug bust in Pretoria East on Sunday evening. Eleven Nigerian citizens were arrested during the operation for narcotics possession and distribution, he claimed.
At a residence in Garsfontein, suspects aged between 31 and 50 were discovered packing nyaope (a typical street narcotic).
According to the mayor, the estimated street value of the discovered drugs is R680,000.
“Members of our Drug Unit obtained information that drugs were to be transported to Pierre van Ryneveld in Centurion. During the surveillance phase of an operation, a male suspect arrived to deliver the drugs. “The officers immediately arrested him,” stated Williams.
According to him, the suspect then led the officers to two of his residences, one in Pierre van Ryneveld where drugs were discovered and another in Garsfontein where 10 further Nigerian nationals were packing the drugs.
The mayor stated that the suspects were being held at the SAPS station in Garsfontein.
Williams complimented the cops “for doing an outstanding job of protecting our communities and youth from drug use.”
“It is crucial that we all work together to prevent Tshwane from becoming the capital of nyaope and other drugs,” he said.