Cape Town - Police in George have confiscated drugs with an estimated street value of R 1.4 million at a township near George in Thembalethu on Thursday, November 3.
The bust was conducted by the George Public Order Police (POP) together with the Garden Route Crime Combating Team after a tip-off which led them to two houses in Johannes Street, Zone 9 where the drugs were found stashed in a number of bags.
According to the Garden Route police spokesperson, Sergeant Christopher Spies, the police arrived at the first house in the early hours of Thursday morning and upon arrival noticed a woman occupant of the house suspiciously throwing an object on the ground.
“The members immediately responded and found the object and it was later proven to be a key used to open a room on the premises. They opened the room and proceeded with a search when they found 19 bags of mandrax and tik stashed in the ceiling,” said Spies.
The bags had 19 117 mandrax tablets and 1.3 kilogram of tik. These findings led to the arrest of a 33-year-old woman on a charge of dealing in drugs.
After the arrest, the police proceeded to another house on the same street where they confiscated 54 mandrax tablets and 13 small bags of tik which is estimated at about R7 200. A 34-year-old man was arrested in connection with this discovery.
Both suspects are in police custody and they are expected to appear in the George Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
The Western Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile praised the police who were involved in this operation, saying these confiscations are in line with the police priorities in the province to rid communities of drugs.
“Substance abuse remains a major generator of serious and violent crimes, especially gender-based violence and femicide. We shall sustain this type of operation as part of concerted efforts by police to safeguard communities and the most vulnerable in society,” said Patekile.