National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says over 20 tons of drugs, with an estimated street value of R2 billion, have been destroyed over the 2022/2023 financial year.

This as R800 million worth of drugs was destroyed in Gauteng today. The drugs included heroine, cocaine, mandrax and dagga.

Masemola says it was seized during various anti-crime operations, nationally.

#sapsHQ [WATCH] #DrugsDestruction The destruction of drugs with an estimated street value of R800 MIL.

The National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, presides over the destruction of drugs, cocaine, heroin, mandrax tablets and marijuana, that have been seized by the #SAPS… pic.twitter.com/e4mj1H9YwY

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) October 26, 2023

This is the third drug destruction process in this financial year, the most recent destruction was in Cape Town in September where 1,7 tons was destroyed, to the value of R170 million.

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Masemola says the drugs are linked to a number of high profile cases including:

• The Maydon Wharf case where more than one tonne of cocaine worth a street value of R400 million was seized. This drug bust happened in August 2022 when Ebrahim Kara, Elias Radebe and Meshack Ngobese were arrested in Cape Town after a truck transporting more than 600 blocks of cocaine was stopped by police and the drugs were discovered hidden in false wooden boards. This matter was finalised and Kara was handed down an eight year sentence while Radebe and Ngobese were handed down one year and six years imprisonment sentences respectively.
• 1.3 tonnes in which illegal pharmaceuticals drugs/medicines in the form of tablets and capsules such as non-registered Viagra were confiscated in operations throughout the country.

All the drugs are subjected to forensic testing on a regular basis by the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory: Chemistry Section.

Masemola says all drugs exhibit materials that have been destructed are audited and a secondary audit is also conducted prior to today’s actual destruction by the SAPS quality management office to ensure compliance to the set standard.

We do believe that these drugs that have been taken off our streets will have a positive impact on our communities especially because in most cases young people are the primary users of these drugs.

Masemola also noted that through Operation Shanela, 15 thousand 400 suspects were arrested by police officers for being in possession of drugs from 8 May 2023 to date.

The recent drug confiscation of R150 million rand of cocaine in KwaZulu Natal also illustrates the cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the world in clamping down on transnational organised crime. These successes would not have been possible without the relentlessness and dedication of our crime intelligence members in following up on information. Indeed, our intelligence structures are hard at work in preventing and putting a stop to the drug trade in the country and beyond. This is also a clear demonstration that all stakeholders in involved in border security are working together to tighten the control measures of cargo entering and departing our country.

The Commissioner also gave more feedback on Operation Shanela successes, in light of the upcoming festive season.

He reiterated that regular roadblocks, patrols, stop and searches, cordon and searches, high visibility patrols, compliance inspections at liquor outlets and second hand good dealers will be the order of the day.

Masemola claims over the past two weeks alone, through integrated and multidisciplinary operations, 20 000 criminals were arrested for various crimes ranging from murder, rape and for being in possession of drugs.

Since the launch of Operation Shanela in May this year, more than 184 000 suspects have been apprehended.