Sixteen people allegedly involved in a drug-trafficking syndicate, were arrested in six towns in a series of early morning raids on Thursday.
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In a statement issued by the Hawks yesterday, spokesperson Zinzi Hani confirmed that five of the towns are in the Western Cape. The sixth, Gqeberha, is in the neighbouring Eastern Cape.
“The takedown operation dismantled a syndicate of drug traffickers controlling the southern Cape region at the break of dawn on Thursday in their respective residences. This syndicate was mainly operating in the Garden Route district,” Hani said.
“The main suppliers of these drugs are from George and Gqeberha. It is reported that the main target has been operating for decades in dealing in drugs in the Oudtshoorn area.”
The operation was carried out by the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, Oudtshoorn K9 Unit, District Crime Combating Team, and Public Order Police Unit.
Seven suspects were apprehended in Oudtshoorn, three in George, one in Gqeberha, one in Ladysmith, two in De Rust and two in Calitsdorp.
They now face charges of dealing in drugs, money laundering and racketeering and appeared in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Meanwhile, Thursday also saw the Cape Town Metro Police officers recover drugs with a street value of more than R1 million after officers received a tip-off about drugs in transit in Strand and tracked down the target vehicle.
Two hundred mandrax tablets and more than 2kg of tik were seized.
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Drugs worth millions confiscated as law enforcement make multiple arrests
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