Durban - Police dealt a blow to a Chatsworth drug ring when nearly R10 000 of heroin and more than R110 000 in cash were seized in a carefully planned raid on saturday.
The swoop saw heavily armed police descend on two houses in Silverheights Crescent on Saturday afternoon and arrest a woman and her two teenage sons.
Items seized included bundles of money, neatly labelled with the names of individual drug runners in the syndicate.
Curious residents gathered as officers sorted through bags of evidence and escorted the suspects to police vehicles.
Members of the police’s KwaDukuza Cluster Task Team, Pietermaritzburg Tactical Reaction Team and Metro Police’s Task Unit converged on the two adjacent houses.
The three were found in possession of more than 300 heroin straws, cash of nearly R20 000 and a ledger of drug transactions in the first house.
KwaDukuza Cluster Commander Brigadier Derek Captain-Hastibeer, who orchestrated the swoop, said it was a major victory for the police.
“The woman and her two sons aged 17 and 19 will be charged with dealing in heroin and they will appear in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Monday,” he said.
“We found cash bundles wrapped up, each with a label bearing the name of individuals we believe to be acting as runners for the drug ring. We also found a list in the home bearing the same names.
“The total amount is nearly R100 000 and the seizure will be the subject of an inquiry. No arrests have been made yet.
“Now we know who the runners are and that will form the basis of our investigation,” he said.
He said jewellery worth more than R10 000 was also seized, thought to have been exchanged for drugs.
Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said: “This operation is part of our festive season crackdown on the scourge of drugs, particularly within this community. What must be noted is that this will not be just one hit, but an ongoing effort to curb drugs and their sale.
“We want to send a strong and clear message to communities throughout the province: we will not tolerate lawlessness, specifically the drug trade. This illicit activity damages the lives of so many and the police are taking a stand, and calling on people with information to come forward.
“This is not a fight we can take up on our own, we need the help of communities and of people with information that will cripple these gangs to come forward and work with us to stamp them out.”
Sunday Tribune