Durban - A major drug syndicate is unravelling in Durban.
A micro-warehouse was discovered in Linze Road, Greyville, on Monday and drums of chemicals, large amounts of cash and machines were still being removed late on Tuesday.
Police have confirmed that the warehouse is linked to last week’s busts at Middelburg Toll Plaza in Mpumalanga and in Westville.
“The SAPS team uncovered a micro-warehouse being used for what appears to be a clandestine drug laboratory with machines, drums of precursor chemicals and cash,” said police spokesman Solomon Makgale.
“Last Tuesday Durban club owner Gregory Ayres, 45, and Bulgarian national Valari Nikolov, 41, were arrested with ecstasy tablets and, early on Wednesday, police raided a Westville home and arrested the home owner, Gareth John Brissett, 40, Sakhile Dlamini, 28, and John Mapumulu, 32, for possession of precursor chemicals used to manufacture drugs... this warehouse was being leased by one of the five accused,” said Makgale.
“It is pleasing for us to be arresting the alleged producers and manufacturers, and not the runners.”
The chemicals found in the warehouse are similar to those found in the Westville house and can be used to manufacture ecstasy tablets.
The five men are still in police custody and are expected to make their second appearance in the Middelburg and Pinetown regional courts on Thursday and on Friday.
The Mercury