More than a thousand units of drugs were confiscated during a police operation in Bayview over the weekend.

Police arrested a 45-year-old man on Sunday, 23 August, for the possession of Mandrax tablets during the operation.

The Western Cape Tactical Response Team carried out the operation at a house in Nautical Close, acting on a tip-off, police spokesperson Sgt Wesley Twigg said.

Drug seizure

During the search, police found 11 bags each containing 1 000 Mandrax tablets, 18 bags each containing 100 tablets, and one bag containing 80 tablets. They also seized an undisclosed amount of cash.

According to the Strandfontein Community Police Forum (CPF), which posted about the seizure on the WhatsApp channel, the total number of tablets recovered was 12 880.

The value of the drugs is still being determined.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrates’ Court once he has been charged.

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Community response

The Strandfontein Community Police Forum (CPF) welcomed the operation.

The CPF chair Sandy Schuter said substance abuse remains a serious challenge for the community, directly fuelling crime, destroying homes and tearing families apart. The forum stressed that shutting down these drug operations is vital to restoring safety and stability to local neighbourhoods.

While police continue to crack down on the illegal trade, the CPF is calling on the community to take an active stand by reporting suspicious activities.

“We urge residents to forward information regarding suspected drug dens or suspicious activities happening in homes and in your streets,” she said.

The forum said curbing the drug trade requires the whole community to work together and stay alert, so that those running these operations feel the pressure.

Information can be reported anonymously through tip-off line channels.

“Together, we can drive illegal substances out of Strandfontein,” she said.