A targeted police operation on Thursday evening led to the significant disruption of a local drug trade network, resulting in the seizure of narcotics with an estimated street value of R350,000 and the arrest of two Tanzanian nationals.
The operation, conducted by the Knysna Crime Prevention Unit, was the culmination of an ongoing investigation into illicit drug dealing.
The first breakthrough occurred at approximately 8:00 PM on August 21, 2025, when officers executed a sting operation at a block of flats on Main Street. There, they discovered and confiscated 5,882 mandrax tablets in the possession of a 40-year-old Tanzanian man, with an estimated street value of R350,000.
Upon his arrest, the suspect attempted to bribe a police officer. Consequently, he now faces additional charges alongside dealing in drugs.
In a follow-up incident just 15 minutes later, at around 8:15 PM, members of the same unit observed a man leaving a shop carrying a suspicious parcel. The officers swiftly apprehended the individual and upon searching his shopping bag, discovered a further 1,006 mandrax tablets valued at approximately R50,000. The 30-year-old man, also identified as a Tanzanian national, was arrested on a charge of dealing in drugs.
Both suspects remain in police custody and are scheduled to make their first court appearance at the Knysna Magistrates’ Court on Monday, August 25, 2025. In addition to the drug-related charges, both men face charges under the Immigration Act.
The cases have been transferred to the Western Cape Organised Crime Investigations unit, specifically its Narcotics Section, for further investigation. Authorities have confirmed that the possibility of a link between the two cases is a key line of inquiry.
