Pretoria – A 27-year-old man has been arrested at the Jeppes Reef border post for allegedly trafficking drugs after he attempted to smuggle dagga wrapped around his belly from Eswatini.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the 27 year old was intercepted on Monday.
“As part of the Easter Weekend Operations, at around 12.10pm police were busy with their routine duties including patrolling the border between South Africa and the Kingdom of Eswatini when they spotted a suspicious man who used an illegal crossing near Jeppes Reef to enter into South Africa,” Mohlala said.
“He was reportedly stopped and after searching him, police noticed that he wrapped himself with dagga around his body weighing at about 1.9kg.”
Police said the estimated street value of the dagga is about R3 000.
“He was then arrested and charged for possession of dagga and he is expected to appear before the Nkomazi Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 19 April 2022 facing the said charges,” Mohlala said.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has commended members of the border policing unit which intercepted the 27-year-old man.
She also warned against smuggling of illegal items in or out of South Africa.
“As police, we are always vigilant to prevent any criminal activity along the borders and within,” Manamela said.
Last month, police in Mpumalanga arrested a 36-year-old woman for allegedly dealing in dagga, after she was found with a stash of marijuana valued at R10 000 in her home.
At the time, Mohlala said the woman was arrested at Newscom, in Kabokweni.
“Her arrest comes after the police in Kabokweni received information about a woman who was dealing in dagga. During the search at her residential place, a bag of dagga was found,” Mohlala said.
“The recovered dagga is estimated to worth about R10 000 in street value and the woman was immediately arrested.”
He said the woman was charged for possession of dagga.
IOL