Police are making inroads in the fight against drug smuggling with at least six major drug busts in just over a month.
The busts occurred in Woodstock, Elsies River and four raids in Gugulethu including a search conducted at a filling station. Police have arrested at least 14 suspects linked to the busts.
The most recent was made in Gugulethu when Mandrax tablets were discovered when members of the Stabilisation Unit responded to a tip-off about drugs sold in a residence in NY 7, Gugulethu.
The raid was conducted last Thursday. Police seized 402 Mandrax tablets in the bedroom, and four bags of tik hidden on a woman, a total of 120 grams.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said the drugs had an estimated street value of R40 000. A 42-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man will be appearing in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today.
Two days before the NY 7 raid, the Mitchells Plain Tactical Response Team received a tip-off about a residence that stored drugs in NY 49, less than 1km away from NY 7.
Police discovered 14 000 Mandrax tablets worth an estimated street value of R630 000 in the back room.
Rwexana said a 51-year-old woman had been arrested.
The biggest bust in Gugulethu, according to local Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Sonwabile Magida, was the NY1 filling station raid where a large quantity of Mandrax tablets, with an estimated street value of R100 000, were found hidden in a storeroom.
Magida said: “We are facing a huge drug problem in this area. The community is fed up and more people are trusting police and coming forward with information.”
The CPF chairman said the community was engaging with the Gugulethu station commander and residents were threatening to banish drug dealers.
“They want them out of the community. The community is willing to work with any state security office that is willing to help eradicate drug dealing,” he said.
Last month 26 parcels of dagga and more than 200 Mandrax tablets were found in abandoned shacks in Wright Street in Woodstock.
A 16-year-old Elsies River teen was arrested when he was found with Mandrax and ecstasy tablets worth R60 000.
Provincial Commissioner Khombinkosi Jula commended the SAPS members involved in the busts.
“We will continue to rid our streets of drugs that are systematically killing the youth of our province,” he said.
“Guided by crime patterns, our police officials undertake to intensify operations at identified drug outlets. We are also thankful for the initiative and co-operation shown by the many communities of this province,” Jula said.