FREE STATE – With Festive Season Operations in full swing, police in the Free State are squeezing in on drug peddlers in the province. This follows the three major arrests that happened in Bethlehem, Jacobsdal and Bloemfontein this week.

The first incident happened in Jacobsdal where three cousins aged between 19 and 34 were arrested. Bloemfontein POP members who were on patrol in Jacobsdal followed a lead to a shack in Donker Hoek. They found dagga under the bed in a dustbin already packaged in small plastic bags along with mandrax tablets, crystal meth, and loose dagga stashed inside three 20-litre buckets underground. Members went as far as digging the ground in order to retrieve buckets of hidden dagga.

In Bloemfontein at the Navilsig area, members of TRT and Crime Intelligence arrested a 45-year-old mother and her 22-year-old son for delealing in drugs. Police confiscated methacathinone hidden inside a laundry basket that was already packaged to be sold.

The third incident happened in Bethlehem where Public Order Police arrested eight suspects, of which five were undocumented foreign nationals and three were South Africans. Intelligence-driven information led police to a house in Van der Merwe Street, where they confiscated dagga, mandrax, heroine, crystal meth, and nyaope. The eight suspects were arrested for also being in possession of suspected stolen property.

In all incidents, an undisclosed amount of cash was also discovered which is believed to be the proceeds of drug peddling.

The suspects were all charged with dealing in drugs, possession of drugs, possession of suspected stolen property and contravention of the Immigration Act. They will appear in different magistrate courts on Thursday, 24 November 2022.

Source: South African Police Service