A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment for drug dealing by the Plettenberg Bay Regional Court.

The court handed down the sentence to Victor Sithole yesterday, bringing to a close a case that began more than four years ago. Sithole had been found guilty in February and was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani says the conviction stems from his arrest in January 2022 during a joint law enforcement operation on the N1 near Beaufort West.

The arrest unfolded during a high-intensity, multi-agency operation. Law enforcement officers, working through the night at a vehicle checkpoint, stopped what appeared to be an ordinary white truck.

“Upon searching the vehicle, members discovered five new ATM machines and two brown boxes. The K9 reacted to the boxes, leading to the discovery of drugs concealed inside, Hani added.”

Authorities uncovered 20,000 Mandrax tablets with an estimated street value of R1.2 million.

Sithole was arrested on the scene and remained in custody throughout several court appearances leading up to his conviction and sentencing.