KWAMAQOMA, Eastern Cape – Eastern Cape Hawks have arrested two drug traffickers aged 44 and 49 transporting mandrax pills worth R3.2 million in Kwamaqoma on 18 February.
Commenting on the arrest, Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said that the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team of the Hawks, working closely with Kwamaqoma SAPS Visible Policing, has dealt a major blow to alleged drug trafficking networks operating in the province.
He said police members acting on intelligence about a vehicle allegedly transporting drugs from East London to Kwamaqoma prompted swift action. “Members of Kwamaqoma SAPS swiftly operationalised the information and immediately activated the Hawks. Through rapid coordination and decisive action, a silver-grey VW Polo TSI matching the description was identified, stopped and searched.”
During the vehicle search, police members uncovered boxes containing tablets suspected to be Mandrax. “Approximately 62 000 suspected Mandrax tablets, with an estimated street value of R3.2 million, were seized. The vehicle allegedly used to transport the drugs was also confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation,” he added.
He further noted: “The success of this operation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of Kwamaqoma SAPS, the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Serious Organised Crime Investigation team, demonstrating a united and firm stance against organised crime.
“Communities across the Eastern Cape have repeatedly raised concerns about the destructive impact of drugs on young people and families. This operation forms part of an intensified provincial strategy aimed at dismantling organised drug networks that continue to destroy lives and destabilise communities,” he explained.
The two suspects are expected to appear before the Kwamaqoma Magistrate’s Court on February 19 on charges of dealing in drugs.
The recovered tablets will be forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Gqeberha for scientific analysis.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Eastern Cape, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, issued a stern warning to those involved in drug trafficking: “We have intensified our operations across the province. Drug dealers and syndicates must understand that we are closing every gap they exploit. We are not only arresting street-level dealers, but we are also targeting the networks behind them. The days of operating freely in our communities are numbered. We will dismantle these syndicates piece by piece.”
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