Johannesburg - Police have arrested five men, aged between 34 and 43, outside Reitz in the Free State and seized mandrax worth an estimated one million rand.
Captain Zweli Mohobeleli said members of Bethlehem Crime Intelligence, K9, and Public Order Policing were information of a planned drug transaction.
They set up a sting operation and placed the suspects under surveillance. Police eventually followed the suspects from Bethlehem to Reitz, where their vehicles were searched.
"20 000 mandrax tablets valued at an estimated R1.1 million rand and two vehicles belonging to the suspects were seized," said Mohobeleli.
Acting Bethlehem Cluster Commander Brig Nkaise Molefe applauded the police for their resilience, diligence and coordination of different units.
"Their diligence has ensured that drugs destined for our streets to destroy lives, mostly of our youths, are seized. Our region will not be used as a haven for peddling drugs”.
The men who are from Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng provinces and neighbouring Lesotho will appear in court soon.