Strong winds blow lid on smallholding’s dagga secret
“IT is an ill wind that blows nobody any good” certainly applied to an alleged dagga cultivator when gale-force winds left her and her crop more than a little exposed at the weekend.
The Port Elizabeth woman – who was allegedly growing a small dagga plantation in her yard – was arrested on Sunday after police stumbled into her garden when strong winds blew her boundary wall over.
The discovery of 1 041 dag ga plants as well as dagga oils, syringes and 300 litres of alcohol on the Theescombe smallholding led to the arrest of Cindy Edwards, 58.
Edwards appeared in the St Albans Magistrate’s Court yesterday for cultivation, possession and dealing in dagga – including hemp oil.
Authorities estimated the value of the bust to be about R100 000.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the bust happened shortly before 4pm when police stopped at the smallholding in Kragga Kamma Road. “Two members of the Kabega Park police station stumbled onto a dagga plantation while patrolling in Kragga Kamma Road,” she said.
“They noticed that a boundary wall had collapsed due to the strong winds and went to investigate in case trespassers had accessed the property.
“While inspecting the wall, they noticed a plantation of trees that looked like dagga plants.
“The curious officers went into the property and found hundreds of dagga trees growing around a small house and a dilapidated caravan.
“On further inspection of the caravan and house, they found 15 syringes already full with hemp as well as dried dagga and containers of pure alcohol.”
At the time of the discovery, no one was on the property.
“While the officers were uprooting the 1 041 plants, a woman [Edwards] arrived at the property, claiming to live there,” Naidu said.
Edwards was released on R1 000 bail and will appear in court again on March 6.