K9 unit nabs suspected drug dealer
KNYSNA - Yet another drug bust has taken place in Knysna, this time involving marijuana worth more than R250 000. According to Southern Cape police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie, police officers of the Tsitsikamma K-9 (Knysna Dog Unit) acted on a tipoff from the public. "They pounced on a suspect in Clyde Street, Knysna, who carried a suspicious parcel, at approximately 13:50 on Monday 13 September," Pojie said. "On approach, he tried to flee but was apprehended by a vigilant member attached to the unit." Upon searching the parcel, police found 21kg of high-quality dagga with an estimated value of R252 000. "Subsequent to the find, he was arrested and the dagga was confiscated as evidence. The dagga was destined for local distribution," said Pojie.
The suspect was due to appear in the Knysna Magistrate's Court this week on a charge of dealing in illicit drugs.
Eden Acting Cluster Commander Brigadier Phumzile Cetyana commended the officers for their effort to rid the streets from drugs and encouraged them to continue to work closely with communities to enhance their safety, according to Pojie. "He also promised that such operations will continue in order to create a safe haven for communities in the Southern Cape."
This latest incident is the 12th in what is by now a lengthy list of drug busts carried out in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay in the past three months. Between the 12 busts, at least 14 suspects have been arrested and charged with various offences, varying between possession of drugs, dealing in drugs, and cultivation of drugs.
The most commonly confiscated drug has been tik, which featured in five of the 12 busts, with Mandrax and marijuana each appearing in four. There has also been one confiscation of magic mushrooms. This marijuana bust is the largest in the past three months, surpassing the 1 786 tablets of Mandrax worth R90 000 that were confiscated in Kwanokuthula in June.