It was a significant Friday for police in their fight against organised crime in Limpopo and Free State.
Around 9pm, Polokwane police dealt a blow to drug traffickers out of Northam, in the Waterberg district.
Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said on Friday night, police were tipped-off to a truck transporting dagga from the area to Zambia via Brits Road.
Road was put under surveillance
He said police swiftly activated an operation to surveil the road.
The truck was later identified and stopped for a routine check.
The search uncovered compressed dagga hidden in bedding and mattresses. He said the 44 bales each weighed approximately 45kg. Police estimated the street value at R8,000/kg so the total value is a staggering R15,840,000.
Truck and dagga confiscated
The driver was immediately arrested and the truck plus the dagga confiscated.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended the investigators. She said their work marks a significant achievement in the ongoing effort to combat drug trafficking and protect the community from the devastating effects of illicit drugs.
The man is expected to appear in the Northam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 10 February on a charge of drug-dealing.
Truck full of stolen copper cables intercepted
Earlier in the day, Fezile Dabi police intercepted a truck carrying stolen copper cables valued at more than R8 million
Sergeant Josephine Rani said during a routine road block police stopped a Volvo truck with a trailer for inspection along the N1 Road at Vaal Plaza, Parys.
The search uncovered six bags of stripped copper cables under PVC plastic covers and other scrap wires inside the trailer. with an estimated value of R8 million.
Rani said the 46-year-old gave police invoices and a waybill indicating the cargo as PVC cable weighing approximately 27,100 kg.
Driver was unable to explain the discrepancy
The documents made no mention of copper cables and he was unable to provide an explanation when questioned about the discrepancy.
He was arrested and detained at Sasolburg SAPS on a charge of possession of stolen copper.
The truck and trailer were both impounded.
He will appear in the Parys Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 10 February.
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