BLOEMFONTEIN – A 36-year-old employee at the Mangaung Correctional Centre in Bloemfontein has been arrested for smuggling drugs. The facility is also known as the Group 4 Correctional Facility. Thabo Bester, the “Facebook rapist,” escaped from here May 2022.
The arrested official is due to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 21 November. He faces a charge of possession of drugs, namely Mandrax and dagga. He was arrested yesterday, Thursday, at the correctional centre.
Lt. Col. Thabo Covane, spokesperson for the Free State police in Bloemfontein, says the employee is suspected of drug trafficking. He holds the position of Direct Supervision Officer.
Covane says intelligence-driven information was received about the smuggling of contraband goods into the facility. This led to a collaborative search by the Department of Correctional Services and South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Mangaung Metro area.
“During a random search of the Direct Supervision Officer’s locker, 149 Mandrax tablets and compressed dagga were found in his lunchbox. The tablets were sealed with masking tape and compressed dagga in a transparent plastic bag was found hidden in the suspect’s food. A fork was used to find the concealed drugs,” says Covane.
According to Covane, the smuggled drugs have an estimated street value of R900. He says a drug possession case docket was opened at the Bloemspruit Police Station, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
You must be logged in to post a comment.