Cape Town – Illicit drugs including tik, cocaine, and mandrax with a street value of R90 million were destroyed by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Cape Town on Thursday.
National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola presided over the destruction of drugs confiscated during police operations in the Western and Eastern Cape at roadblocks and during tracing operations.
SAPS said this was the fourth drug destruction process in this financial year.
The most recent drug destruction took place in Gauteng in October 2023, where R800 million worth of drugs were destroyed.
SAPS said In this financial year alone, close to a billion rand worth of drugs were destroyed.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, six tons of drugs were seized with a value of R2 billion.
Some of the drugs that were destroyed on Thursday include those that were seized during the following drug busts:
- A case in Vredenburg where police operationalised information and proceeded to an address where a truck loaded with R10 million worth of mandrax tablets was seized. In this case, four suspects were arrested, and one suspect, Hosia Mbuluheni Mathono, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
- In Beaufort West, Mandrax worth R2,5 million was seized and the accused was convicted and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment
- In another case in Beaufort West, R18 million worth of Tik was seized. The accused were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
- In another case in Swellendam, R4,5 million worth of Mandrax tablets were seized. The accused persons were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
The National Commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola said police were registering great successes in intercepting drugs in the country.
“It is worth noting that in the past three months, police have seized cocaine worth R 200 million in various drug busts at our ports of entry,” said General Masemola.
“The first two consignments of cocaine were seized at the Durban harbour in October and the other major bust worth R65 million was detected in November at the Gqeberha seaport.
“This drug destruction thus demonstrates the relentless efforts of our men and women in blue to remove these drugs that destroy lives and livelihoods.”
SAPS said it regularly embarks on the destruction of illicit drugs, which have been identified using court orders, illustrating the finalisation of cases.
