Cape Town – Police in Burgersfort have arrested three Swazi nationals, including a police sergeant, for allegedly being in possession and transporting dagga valued at over R62 000.
The three suspects include a 46-year-old police sergeant, were arrested by the SAPS Burgersfort in the Sekhukhune District for alleged possession and transportation of dagga on Thursday, at about 11am.
"It is reported that police were conducting a stop-and-search operation at a roadblock along the R37 public road next to L50 Farm.
“They stopped a white Volkswagen Polo motor vehicle with Mpumalanga registration numbers," police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said that police found three occupants and asked to search the car after detecting an unpleasant odour.
"Permission was granted and police found three big parcels wrapped with a brown sellotape at the back seat of the motor vehicle.
"One of the suspects confirmed to the police that it was dagga that was wrapped and they were immediately placed under arrest (over) possession and transportation of dagga," Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said preliminary investigations indicated that one of the suspects, the driver of the car, was a 46-year-old police sergeant stationed at Barberton SAPS in Mpumalanga.
"His two accomplices, aged 30 and 35, are foreign nationals from Swaziland who were in possession of valid passports.
'During the arrest, police confiscated dagga with an estimated street value of R62 000," Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba said the suspects were expected to appear before the Burgersfort Magistrate court soon facing charges of possession and transportation of dagga.
"Police investigations are continuing," Ledwaba added.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Services in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the arrest of the suspects.
“The police are expected to uphold the law and if they are the ones breaking it, there must be consequences," added Hadebe.
IOL