Police destroy drugs worth millions in Cape Town

The South African Police Service destroyed drugs worth an estimated street value of R340 million in Cape Town on Friday. According to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, these drugs were seized from ongoing efforts from the SAPS to get drugs off the streets.

Masemola added that the SAPS plays a crucial role in the fight against drug-related crimes, with a strong focus on supply reduction, as outlined in the National Drug Master Plan. This has led to police confiscating and destroying drugs worth R5,2 billion in three years.

“As part of our ongoing efforts, the SAPS regularly confiscates illicit drugs and illegal pharmaceutical products through special operations, investigations, and the dismantling of clandestine laboratories.”

The total estimated street value of the 800 kilograms of drugs was destroyed during Friday’s operation. This is the SAPS’s second visit to the Cape Town plant in the last 12 months. About a year ago, authorities destroyed R550 million worth of drugs at the plant.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, approximately 14.5 tons have been destroyed and in this financial year, which is the 2024/2025 financial year, approximately 15.2 tons have been destroyed to date, excluding today.

In the police’s latest drug bust this past week, the Western Cape anti-gang unit and crime intelligence officers followed up on information and seized 26 illegal and unlicensed firearms in Belville South as well as in Stikland in Cape Town.

Some of those firearms include 3xAK47 automatic rifles, an R5, 12x9mm pistols, 3x Uzzi and 2 revolvers amongst other high calibre firearms. In this same operation, 50 000 tablets of mandrax were also seized. Two suspects have already appeared in court on a charge of the illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs as well as the possession of illegal explosives.

“This recent success sends out a strong message in a province that is struggling with gang related violence that police will not rest until we seize and confiscate all illegal and unlicensed firearms across the length and breadth of the cape flats and surrounding areas.” added Masemola

At the same time in Gauteng on Thursday, police discovered a drug manufacturing laboratory at an identified address in Westonaria. Police were executing a search warrant where they found drug manufacturing equipment to the value of R10 million. Two suspects have been arrested thus far.

In the past two weeks, three drug traffickers were arrested at the OR TAMBO International Airport, these drug traffickers include two South Africans who were found with a combined R7.5 million worth of cocaine as well as a 55-year-old Nigerian drug trafficker.

All these suspects had just landed from Brazil at the OR Tambo International Airport. In the past six months, more than 20 drug traffickers have been arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport, which is known as a gateway to Africa.