NELSPRUIT, May (ANA) - Three men are expected to appear in the Barberton Magistrate's Court on Monday after they were caught with heroin worth about R76.5 million in an intelligence-driven operation this weekend, Mpumalanga police said.
The suspects were arrested at about 6 am on Saturday by the local police and the Whiteriver K9 Unit. The three were found in possession of heroin with an estimated street value of R76.5 million, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.
This came after the members received information about three vehicles transporting drugs from Mozambiquè via eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) to South Africa. The vehicles, a silver Toyota Fortuner, a Hyundai H1 minibus, and a Nissan X-Trail were spotted and stopped by police on the R38 between Barberton and Badplaas. They were believed to be en-route to Gauteng.
"It was during the [search] process that police discovered that two of the vehicles had drugs stashed in different hiding places ranging from false compartments and tyres. A total of 51 packets of heroin were retrieved and as a result, the trio was arrested. The drugs were seized for further investigation," the SAPS said
Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Mondli Zuma praised the collaboration between the police and the community that led to the bust.
- African News Agency (ANA)
