Durban - Five suspects are due to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court following a R1.7 million dagga bust on Saturday night.
KZN police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker said police officers from various police units in Pietermaritzburg and a security company embarked on an intelligence driven operation targeting suspects who were intending to transport dagga to Cape Town.
"The information was operationalised at a business premises on Edison Road in Mkondeni where the team kept surveillance on a truck that was used to transport the dagga. Police observed five suspects loading dagga into the truck and pounced on the premises. All five suspects aged between 21 and 45 were placed under arrest."
Naicker said 57 bags of dagga, with each bag weighing between 30 to 40 kilograms, were seized by police.
Five suspects have been charged after police found dagga worth R1.7 million being loaded into a truck headed for Cape Town.
Picture: SAPS
"The street value of the dagga that was seized is estimated at R1.7 million. A case for possession of dagga was opened at the Alexandra Road police station for further investigation."
He said the suspects are expected to appear at the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates Court on Monday.
“This arrest proves that we are closing in on suspects who are dealing in drugs within our province. More arrests can be expected as operations are still on-going,” said the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula.
In a separate incident, two suspects aged 32 and 42 are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday after police found dagga in their car.
According to Naicker, members from Newlands East SAPS were conducting operations on Inanda Road when they intercepted a vehicle that was operating during the curfew.
"The vehicle was stopped and the occupants were questioned by police. The police officers also conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered six yellow packets in a bin bag. Upon opening the bags the police officers realised that each bag contained compressed dagga.
"Police investigations revealed that both men were travelling from Jozini en route to deliver the drugs in the Durban Central business district. Both suspects faces charges of possession."