Staff Reporter
Three people have been arrested for allegedly dealing in drugs after they were found in possession of a variety of narcotic drugs worth over a million rand.
The incident happened on Saturday during a multidisciplinary exercise conducted while Police Minister General Bheki Cele was visiting the province to monitor safer festive season operations.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said in a statement the suspects’ vehicle, a black Audi A3, was stopped at the corner of Hanger and St George streets by members of the police’s Welkom K9 Unit deployed in Bloemfontein.
“They pulled off the vehicle and asked for permission from the owner to search the car,” said Mbambo in a detailed statement.
“Inside the vehicle they found pieces of crystal methane and the officers suspected more drugs could be found at the driver’s residential place,” she added.
Upon arrival at a flat on Raymond Mhlaba Street, the police were allowed to search the house and found drugs packed in plastics hidden in a closet.
“CAT weighing 1.9 kilogrammes, crystal methane, rock, cocaine and Thai white drugs with an estimated street value of R1 million rand were found and confiscated,” said Mbambo.
The trio, a 40-year-old man who is a foreign national, his 27-year-old girlfriend as well as another 38-year-old man who is also a foreign national, were arrested and charged with dealing in drugs.
“This proves that members are vigilant and operationally ready to ensure that inhabitants of this country are and feel safe,” said Cele as he inspected the confiscated drugs.
The minister was also monitoring adherence to COVID-19 regulations in the province.
Other multidisciplinary crime prevention and law-enforcement operations conducted as part of Cele’s visit saw about 325 people being arrested for various crimes across the province over the past few days.
These were arrested for crimes ranging from rape, stock theft, burglary, murder, sexual assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Police also conducted cordon and search operations in central Bloemfontein and mounted roadblocks on the N8.
At least 21 undocumented persons were arrested and three vehicles were impounded.
Two of them were state vehicles being driven without authority and the other one was a taxi that had no permit.
One person was arrested for drunken driving.
All suspects will appear in court Monday.