Cape Town - An alleged drug trafficker, who was apprehended by the Hawks, while travelling into Cape Town with a load of cocaine-filled plastic bags worth more than R5 million, was released on R25 000 bail.
Xolile Skoti, 39, made his appearance in court yesterday, after he was arrested on Friday, near Strand, by the Hawks’ narcotics branch and police, who intercepted the bakkie he was travelling in.
The bakkie was en-route to Cape Town from Gauteng, carrying a delivery of cocaine worth more than R 5.7 million.
Police said Skoti was intercepted at a fuel station along the N2 highway, and found in possession of 19 bags of raw cocaine, which police spotted hidden on the back panels of his bakkie, wrapped in plastic bags.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Skoti’s case was postponed to August 31, 2021, for further investigation. He is facing charges of dealing in drugs.
Meanwhile, 489 people were arrested for various crimes over the weekend on the Garden Route.
Police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said police in the Eden Cluster, in the Garden Route District, arrested 489 suspects between Friday, June 4 and Sunday morning, June 6.
“The 424 suspects arrested, out of the 489, were arrested for various crimes committed during the weekend. These arrests represent various criminal offences, ranging from petty to contravention of the DMA regulations, and other serious crimes, since the start of this weekend, while 18 were wanted suspects,” he said.
According to Pojie, over the weekend police on the Garden Route searched 838 people, 192 vehicles, and issued five traffic fines to the value of R3 400 for traffic violations and defective vehicles. Officers also issued 76 fines to the value of R74 200 for the contravention of the Disaster Management Act Regulations.
Eden Cluster commander Major General Oswald Reddy has commended police for their vigilance in bringing these perpetrators to book.
Reddy reiterated that, although seemingly insignificant for some, these police-initiated interventions prevented the commission of other serious crimes, such as murders, robberies, serious assaults, domestic violence, and gender-based violence crimes from happening.
Reddy also appealed to residents living in the district to continue adhering to the Covid-19 regulations to prevent the transmission of the virus, and to also adhere to the curfew from 11pm to 4am.