Police raid drug farm
R300k, mandrax tablets recovered in morning blitz
POLICE yesterday made a breakthrough in their fight against organised crime when they pounced on five Eastern Cape suspected drug lords believed to be part of a nationwide drug trafficking network.
The arrest of the five was the culmination of an investigation lasting more than a year, by a joint police operation involving the Hawks, crime intelligent unit (CIU) and the Eastern Cape police where a farm in Berlin, between East London and King William’s Town, was closely monitored.
Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khehla John Sitole flew to East London yesterday and visited the farm.
The 3am arrests of the five men believed to be at the centre of a drug syndicate also resulted in police seizing 10 000 mandrax tablets and eight stolen vehicles which included three luxury BMWs. A total of R300 000 was recovered in the boot of one of the cars.
Five bakkies were allegedly used as distribution vehicles.
The farm, which is also suspected to be used to keep and slaughter stolen livestock saw the police recovering 200 cattle and an unknown number of sheep and goats.
The suspects, whom Mbalula described as being well respected in society, cannot be named as they are yet to appear in court.
They were nabbed from their homes in Berlin, King William’s Town, Peddie and Port Alfred.
Mbalula said the suspected Berlin drug lord had been masquerading as a farmer yet he was nothing but
“inkunkuma” [rubbish]. He declared war on drug lords, saying they were squeezing the space they were operating in. “Lenkunkuma izawuchama
iwusele [This rubbish will urinate and drink his own urine]. The days are numbered for the kingpins.
“For years they have been sending mules to jail to serve sentences on their behalf while they enjoy the fruits of their [mules’] labour,” he said, adding that he was now shifting his focus to the masterminds not the runners.
Turning his attention to other drug dealers, Mbalula warned that they would leave no stone unturned as they cracked down on drug syndicates.
“Wherever you are, throughout the country, we are coming for you,” he charged.
Hawks organised crime unit commander Brigadier Gopz Govender said livestock was slaughtered at the Berlin farm to supply meat to a popular butchery in Mdantsane.
Eastern Cape police provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said she was out to “destroy” the kingpins.
“I don’t just want them to go to jail and return to their fancy lives after serving sentences, but I want them to start from scratch, hence today we have seized all their assets to be attached and sold by the state,” she said.
The suspected drug lords have allegedly built an empire worth R15million, said Govender.
The Berlin farmer was on the wanted list of the Grahamstown stocktheft unit, said Govender.
Sitole said the arrests signaled the stamp of authority by the state.
“These kingpins have been wreaking havoc, contaminating the society. They are part of a nationwide network that has been confusing the youth with drugs.”
Sitole said the arrest would send a stern warning to other drug traffickers.
Describing how the alleged drug bosses never stood a chance against them, Govender quipped: “They didn’t see us coming; we moved through the shadow of the night.”
Govender said the illicit drug trafficking business raked in more than R300 000 in the first three weeks of the festive season.
The five are expected to appear in court soon to face charges of dealing in drugs, money laundering and racketeering. Possible charges of stock theft and being possession of stolen property could be added, said national police spokesman Vish Naidoo said.
Yesterday’s arrest comes after police in East London made a couple of arrests towards the end of last year as there was a spike in houses being used to manufacture drugs. —