Cape Town – A 45-year-old man was arrested after he was found in possession of dagga worth over R1.7 million at the Maseru Border Post in Ladybrand, Free State police said on Thursday.
"The 45-year-old was crossing the border into South Africa from Lesotho [on Monday] when the police stationed at Maseru Border Post in Ladybrand discovered that he had hidden 95 bags filled with dagga inside his white Isuzu truck," Sergeant Thabo Litabe said.
"The police became suspicious when they discovered that the inside of the truck’s canopy did not match with its external cover. They demanded that he open a make-shift compartment and that’s when they discovered the goods worth about R1 785 000 000."
Litabe said the man was from Lesotho and was heading to the Eastern Cape. A case of dealing in drugs was registered against him and an Isuzu truck was also confiscated.
"A second case was also registered for contravening traffic laws as he was using false registration numbers and a vehicle license disc," said Litabe. Litabe said the man is expected to appear in the Ladybrand court on Monday, January 23.