Two bust in Cape Town with R1.5 million worth of mandrax

A packet filled with mandrax tablets

Mandrax worth R1.5 million was seized in Cape Town. Picture: Hawks

Published May 19, 2023

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Cape Town – Two suspects are expected to appear in the Goodwood’s Magistrate’s Court on Monday after R1.5 million worth of drugs were found in the Epping industrial area in Cape Town.

According to Zinzi Hani, Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks): “The Hawks' South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb) team together with Crime Intelligence’s Counter Narcotics unit have confiscated 31 000 mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of around R1.5 million during an operation in the Epping industrial area in Cape Town which resulted in the arrest of two suspects for dealing in drugs,” Hani said.

Mandrax worth R1.5 million was seized in Cape Town. Picture: Hawks

The operation followed a tip-off by officers which led to a search of the suspects’ vehicle.

Last week, a man accused of dealing in drugs after tik with a street value of about R3.2m was found in a hotel room, was granted R150 000 bail in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.

Darlington Ufondu, 32, was released on bail and his case was postponed to November 16 for further investigation.

Mandrax worth R1.5 million was seized in Cape Town. Picture: Hawks

According to Hani, Ufondo, a foreign national, was arrested on April 28, 2023, by Table View police.

In another incident, the Hawks arrested two suspects last week who were reportedly operating a clandestine laboratory and confiscated drugs worth R150m in Mogale City, Magaliesburg.

The Hawks said during the search, the police found mandrax paste, mandrax tablets, a mandrax press, an oven to dry methaqualone, buckets of methaqualone, and drums of powder used in the manufacturing of mandrax.