Durban – A total of 77 suspects were arrested for dealing and being in possession of drugs during a two day police operation in KwaZulu-Natal.
Following the launch of stabilisation operations in the province, various clusters have embarked on operations to saturate crime hotspots in a multidisciplinary approach said KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thulani Zwane.
Between Friday August 23 and Sunday August 25, police officers swooped on notorious areas across the province and conducted searches.
Zwane said a total of 77 suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs or for being in possession of drugs.
"All the arrested suspects were placed before various courts in the province to answer to their charges. Police seized various quantities of drugs such as heroin, dagga, cocaine, mandrax, whoonga and crack cocaine. All the drugs will be forwarded to our Forensic Science Laboratory for further analysis as well as to be presented as evidence before our courts,"Zwane said.
While clamping down on drugs, police officers also effected 278 arrests for various crimes committed in the province.
During these operations suspects were also arrested for crimes such as murder, possession of unlicensed firearms, dangerous weapons, rape, robberies, drunk driving and selling of alcohol without a permit.
Zwane said a number of illegal liquor outlets were also shut down as police clamped down on illicit activities that are contributors to serious and violent crimes.
"Police officers in the province of KwaZulu-Natal have been working hard on clamping down on drug dens by conducting regular operations to arrested those that peddle drugs as well as those that use drugs,"he said.