Acclaim for SAPS drug unit
THE SAPS drug unit in KwaZulu-Natal has been lauded for its breakthrough operations in several areas, including Sherwood, Chatsworth, Verulam and Phoenix, at the weekend.
Six people were arrested and 4 000 drug capsules, illicit cigarettes valued at R562 000, heroin and cocaine valued at R90 000, 11 bags of dagga and an unlicensed firearm were seized.
Unit commander Warrant Officer Dean Pillay said tip-offs from the public helped his team.
“Basically, we receive information and track the person in question – either days or weeks – and once we are ready, we approach, make arrests and seize the drugs.”
The unit, which last month bust a drug lab, always tries to nab “the bigger guys”, said Pillay.
“We enquire about the people drug dealers get their stash from and last month when we arrested a man in Umbilo, he took us to a lab where we confiscated drugs worth R450 000.”
He said on Thursday they recovered drugs, heroin and cocaine from a dealer in Verulam who operated out of taxis. Once they made R5 000, the taxi would leave to drop of the money and bring back another R5 000 worth of drugs, he said.
“We intercepted and arrested the dealer and recovered drugs worth between R60 000 and R70 000.”
On Friday, his team was informed of activities in Phoenix, in the Palmview area, and made its way there. On inspecting cars, Pillay noticed a man trying to walk away and found the 22-year-old in possession of 2 000 drug capsules and an unlicensed firearm.
In another raid on the same day, the team seized illicit cigarettes valued at more than R62 000 and another 2 000 capsules valued at R60 000.
On Saturday, they were notified of a man from the Eastern Cape supplying drugs in the Welbedacht area. They made him open up a storeroom where they found 11 bags of dagga weighing about 50kg and worth about R500 000.
According to Pillay, cocaine, rock (crack) cocaine, dagga, whoonga and illicit cigarettes are commonly brought into the country by foreign nationals.
“In the Point area, it is more the Nigerians who are selling and we find people either buy for themselves or in bulk to sell in their areas. We are clamping down on these areas and making big strides in eliminating drugs. Of course, it will not happen immediately but it is a step in the right direction.”
Pillay added he had noticed a sense of confidence from South Africans when breakthroughs were made. “We get a lot of calls when we make breakthroughs and it shows people are aware of what is happening and they like what they hear. Positive results boosts confidence and in turn more people turn to my members and myself to tip us off.”