Man in court after R70m drug bust
ALLEGED meth (tik) “cook” Kingsley Obi Udeobi, 31, appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court this morning after he was allegedly found with 105 kilograms of processed and unprocessed drugs worth R70-million.
Udeobi was arrested on Sunday in a Belgravia flat by members of the Hawks’ narcotics enforcement bureau.
They allegedly found him in possession of equipment used to manufacture the drugs.
His case was postponed to November 6 for a formal bail application. He was remanded in custody.
State prosecutor Dumisani Kumbaca told presiding magistrate Rochelle Sam that the drugs were sent to the national SAPS laboratory for testing and that the results would be available after three months.
These included 70 kilograms of unprocessed tik and 35 kilograms of ready-to-sell tik.
It was the biggest drug overhaul in the history of the Eastern Cape.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said the discovery followed a five-day investigation after the discovery of a tik lab in Vincent Heights.
The spokesman said more arrests were imminent.
Provincial SAPS commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said when he visited the scene: “We are happy we are ridding our streets of drugs. We are now going after the labs. Come December festive season there will be no drugs on our streets.” —