The Minister of Police, Mr Bheki Cele, MP and the National Commissioner of Police, General Khehla John Sitole have applauded the recent massive drug busts in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal since Friday 1 March 2019.
In the latest success, a multi disciplinary task team, acting on intelligence, uncovered a massive clandestine drug laboratory in Springfield Park just outside the Durban Central Business District.
Members from the Provincial Organised Crime Unit (POCU) together with the EThekwini Inner South Cluster’s Provincial Drug and Firearm Unit swooped on the laboratory late yesterday afternoon where they arrested two men and two women.
The four were working on a machine producing capsules suspected to contain heroin. A search was conducted on the premises which led to the discovery of thousands of kilograms of Methaqualone powder which is generally used to produce mandrax tablets. The team further discovered one tablet press machine (suspected to be used for mandrax tablets), over 60 dyes, approximately 10 000 mandrax tablets and approximately 40 000 empty capsules, all with an estimated value of over R50 million.
The initial arrests led police members to a house in Shepstone Place in Westville. At these premises the team recovered approximately 20 kilograms of methaqualone powder and arrested three more suspects on the premises.
The seven suspects are currently in police custody and will be charged with the manufacture of and dealing in heroin and mandrax as well as in terms of the Medicine Control Act.
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