GAUTENG – The Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court remanded three men charged for dealing in narcotics yesterday. The trio’s apprehension emanated from a search and seizure operation conducted by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Germiston, Counter Narcotics, Crime Intelligence, Head Office and West Rand K9 on Tuesday, 08 March 2022. The investigation team kept surveillance at a positively identified premises where suspected drug activities were reported at Ardenworld in the Vanderbijlpark area. A search and seizure operation was executed where the suspects were pounced on allegedly manufacturing mandrax powder in the premises. The trio, Lawrence Tumela Mokeona (27), Delligs Sapoenda (23), and Zandiwe Banda (29) were immediately apprehended and charged. Electronic gadgets, mandrax powder and drug manufacturing equipment with an estimated street value of R5 Million were seized for further investigation. The court remanded the accused in custody pending investigation and the case is postponed to Wednesday, 16 March 2022 for Mokoena’s formal bail application.   Source: South African Police Service