Police seize cocaine worth over R76 000 in Durban operation
The suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges relating to the possession of drugs.
KwaZulu-Natal police have intensified their crackdown on drugs after arresting a 58-year-old man allegedly found in possession of rock cocaine with an estimated street value of R76 800 during an intelligence-driven operation in Montclair.
The arrest follows a week of major drug busts across KZN and elsewhere in South Africa as law enforcement agencies continue targeting drug trafficking networks.
ALSO READ | Strong dagga smell from portable toilet leads to R7.5m drug bust
KZN Provincial Drugs and Firearms Unit members conducted the operation in Montclair, south of Durban, where they recovered 96 pieces of rock cocaine.
“The arrested suspect was found in possession of 96 pieces of rock cocaine with an estimated street value of R76 800,” the unit said.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges relating to the possession of drugs.
More drug arrests across KZN
The latest arrest comes just days after three suspected drug dealers appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court following intelligence-driven operations by the same Provincial Drugs and Firearms Unit.
During a sting operation in the Point area, police arrested two suspects allegedly found with rock cocaine, ecstasy, crystal meth, heroin and cocaine powder worth an estimated R211 000.
ALSO READ | KZN police sting lands three suspected drug dealers in court
In a separate operation, officers arrested a 25-year-old suspect at a shop on Florida Road in Morningside after allegedly discovering a substantial quantity of cannabis products.
Additional cannabis products were later seized at another shop in Umhlanga.
KZN police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said the suspects were charged with dealing in drugs following the operations.
R7.5 million cannabis haul
The recent KZN arrests also follow one of the country’s biggest cannabis seizures in the Northern Cape.
A 37-year-old foreign national was arrested after Provincial Traffic officials detected a strong smell of dagga coming from one of several portable toilets loaded onto a truck travelling on the N1 near Colesberg.
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Police discovered seven bulk bags containing 379.3kg of suspected cannabis hidden inside the truck, with an estimated street value exceeding R7.5 million.
The truck and trailer were confiscated, and the suspect was charged with dealing in cannabis.
