Durban - T’s Tavern in Phoenix, a popular watering hole for locals, has been raided by police who said they found an assortment of drugs with a street value of over R167 000.
According to Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo of the Hawks, drugs including 400 slopes (lines) of rock cocaine, 50 ecstasy tablets, 50g of cocaine stone, 50 slopes of cocaine powder and 153 rock smoking pipes were found.
Police also seized R138 780 in cash, suspected to be proceeds of drug dealing, said Mhlongo.
He added that the raid was an intelligence-driven operation conducted by the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, eThekwini Inner South Cluster and Phoenix Task Team members.
But the tavern owner, who declined to be named, is crying foul.
The businessman said he was not present during the Saturday morning raid but his 28-year-old son, who was one of four people arrested, had related to him how a group of policemen in civilian clothing had arrived in an unmarked vehicle and “roughed up” patrons before searching the premises, allegedly without a search warrant.
He claimed the drugs were not found at his Grove End Drive tavern but that a ”volume of goods” were later produced at the Phoenix police station.
He also claimed that a total of R380 000 in cash had been taken away by police, but that only R167 000 had been accounted for.
Mhlongo said he was not aware of the claims, but urged the owner to open a case of theft, “so that we will answer in court not through the media”.
He confirmed that police did require a search warrant; however, if there was sufficient grounds to suggest the evidence would be compromised by the delays in obtaining a warrant, police could gain entry and search the property without it.
Speaking to POST on Monday, the owner said that to add to his worries, his 28-year-old son, a barman and two security guards were arrested and charged for dealing in drugs.
They appeared in the Phoenix Magistrate’s Court on Monday and have been detained in custody until their next appearance on Friday for a possible bail application.
“The raid was well-planned to target my takings,” the tavern owner said. “I have been accused many times of dealing in drugs but was never found guilty.”
He said there was a “jealous community” in Phoenix, which led to him being targeted.
“People think that because we make so much of money, drive good cars and have many houses, we deal in drugs.”
He said he started the tavern more than 20 years ago and it was his only business.
Among other allegations, he said the tavern’s digital video recorder, which was in his office, was confiscated during the raid.
This, he said, would have proven his innocence.
“It would have shown if drugs were found on the premises and all the money taken out of my office.”
Relating what his son told him had transpired, the owner said: “When the police arrived, they started searching the patrons outside.
“I believe they found ecstasy on one man and dagga on another. They were both outside my premises, in the car park. These two men were placed in a van and when I checked at the police station on Sunday, I found out they had not been charged.”
He said the police then proceeded upstairs to his tavern.
“My son wanted to see a search warrant but one officer had sworn at him. Some of the patrons were roughly searched and were treated with no respect.”
He claimed the police had not found drugs at the bar and store.
But his son and the barman were placed in an unmarked car and their hands bound with cable ties, he said.
Two other security personnel were also arrested.
He said that because the police had allegedly confiscated the staff members’ cellphones, he had not known about the raid and only found out when a patron contacted him.
When he arrived, his son and the three staff were not there.
“The place was turned upside down. I looked for my week’s takings and it was gone. I called my attorney and the police station and they said they were busy investigating.”
He said he was hurt that his son was in police custody.
The Post