Police strike major blow to KZN drug trade with R1m seizure

Officers had received intelligence about an individual who was allegedly distributing drugs in and around the area. Police dealt a major blow to the drug trade in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), seizing narcotics worth more than R1 million and arresting a 43-year-old foreign national during an intelligence-driven operation. The man was handcuffed, and the drugs seized following an intelligence-driven operation conducted by members of the Provincial Drugs and Firearms Unit in Ballito on Sunday. Intelligence Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said officers had received intelligence about an individual who was allegedly distributing drugs in and around the area. “Members held observation posts in Ballito and monitored the area until the targeted person was identified. “A take-down operation was conducted by the team during which the suspect was found in possession of 500g of crystal meth, four kilograms of methcathinone, two kilograms of cocaine powder, 12 packs of small glass bottles as well as nine cellphones,” Magwaza said. Street value The street value of the recovered drugs is estimated to be just over R1 million. Magwaza said the suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with dealing in drugs. He will appear at the uMhlali Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Southern Africa drug hub Last week, police minister Firoz Cachalia warned that Southern Africa risked becoming a major centre for illicit drug production as powerful crime syndicates tighten their grip on the region. Cachalia was delivering the welcoming address at the Ministerial Troika Meeting of the Trilateral Planning Cell (TPC) in Tshwane, Gauteng. The meeting brought together policing representatives from South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Angola, and Uganda to strengthen regional efforts against drug trafficking and organised crime. He called for an aggressive, intelligence-driven crackdown, saying organised crime networks are exploiting borders, coastlines, and trade routes to traffic drugs, launder money, and fuel a range of serious crimes.