MAKHANDA – A coordinated police operation has resulted in the arrest of two men and the seizure of illicit drugs worth nearly R50,000 in Makhanda and Joza.

According to SAPS spokesperson Captain Marius McCarthy, the operation was conducted on Wednesday, 16 September, following intelligence gathered by the Makhanda Crime Intelligence Unit.

“Members of the Makhanda Highway Patrol Unit, as well as the Makhanda and Joza Crime Prevention Units, joined forces to target two identified properties,” he said.

McCarthy added that police seized 195 grams of Khat and 16 grams of Tik at a house in Hallier Street, Makhanda. “They arrested a 44-year-old man on charges of dealing in drugs.”

He also stated that the team then proceeded to Vellem Street in Joza, where they searched another identified property.

“Police confiscated 19 packets of Tik and Mandrax tablets,” McCarthy said. “A 50-year-old man was also arrested for dealing in drugs.”

The two suspects are expected to appear before the Makhanda Magistrates’ Court soon.

The Sarah Baartman District Commissioner, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso, commended the members for the successful operation and the strong cooperation between the different units.

“This operation proves that when our specialised units pool their intelligence and operational strength, we can successfully dismantle illicit networks and squeeze the space for drug dealers to operate,” said Kupiso.

“We will maintain this intelligence-led momentum to reclaim our neighbourhoods and ensure that perpetrators of drug trafficking face the full might of the law,” she concluded.

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