During a regular check by personnel of the Western Cape Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Narcotics Section, police seized 30 bags of drugs (Mandrax tablets) with an estimated street value of R1.5 million. The driver was arrested.
Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) were conducting normal vehicle checks along the N1 when they discovered a silver Toyota Corolla parked at a gas station with a driver acting suspiciously when he spotted them.
The police approached the driver, who then offered them R400 to accompany him through the highway’s traffic officers. The diligent members apprehended the suspect on bribery charges and conducted a check of his vehicle, where they discovered 30,000 mandrax tablets secreted in sacks in the trunk and side panels. The police seized the discovery and the vehicle.
Sergeant Christopher Spies, a police spokeswoman, stated that the subject remains in police custody. On Monday, January 30, 2023, he is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on charges of narcotics trafficking and bribery.
Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, commissioner of the Western Cape Police, lauded the dedication and alertness that led to the discovery.
“Police will continue to deploy more boots on the ground to rid our rural and vulnerable communities of drugs,” he stated.
»Police seize 30 packages of Mandrax valued at R1.5 million«