Durban - Members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) and officers from the Upper Tugela SAPS recovered 300kg of dagga with an estimated street value of R39 million on Wednesday morning.
SANDF Joint Operations Division spokesperson Jaco Theunissen said during the early hours of Wednesday morning the SANDF along the KZN international border with Lesotho conducted cordon and search operations with Upper Tugela SAPS in the eMaswazini area.
“During the operation, the members inspected an abandoned residence and discovered one rifle (rusted) with four live rounds and 300kg dagga with an estimated street value R39 000 000,” said Theunissen.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed that an operation was conducted which led to the recovery of a rifle and six bags of dagga at a home at eMaswazini Reserve. No one was found and no arrests were made.
In another incident, the SANDF arrested a suspect after he was found in possession of two 9mm pistols and one magazine with 31 live rounds.
Meanwhile, Hawks detectives from the Richards Bay Serious Organised unit stopped a truck enroute to KwaZulu-Natal with heroin powder valued at over R87m.
Three men, including the driver of the truck were arrested.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that Hawks officers in Richards Bay in collaboration with the Mpumalanga Crime Intelligence discovered 342.5 kg of the drug inside what is believed to be a purpose built hide in a truck which was coming from Mozambique via Swaziland to KwaZulu-Natal.
“The truck was intercepted in Hluhluwe and the team immediately started with the search. Almost 250 packets of heroin were found hidden in a false partition which was newly painted. Members had to cut open the compartment in order to access the drugs,” Mhlongo said.
Daily News