Suspect held over smuggling R800 000 worth of meds into SA

Crime

Cape Town – Police have arrested a 31-year-old man near the Oshoek border post in connection with the smuggling of medication with an estimated street value of about R800 000 from Eswatini into South Africa.

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the suspect was arrested on Friday at around 4pm when police were conducting routine patrols in Oshoek, the main border post between South Africa and Eswatini.

“Police were busy with their routine duties and a truck, pulling two trailers, was searched. It was discovered during the search that the truck was carrying a huge consignment of medication.

“It is further reported that the truck was from the Kingdom of Eswatini heading to South Africa.

“The driver is said to have failed to produce authorisation for transportation of the consignment across the border, hence he was arrested and charged for alleged contravention of the Medicines and Related Substances Act,” Mohlala said.

The suspect was expected to appear in the  Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, praised members from border policing “for their relentless efforts in fighting crime in-and-around the borders”.

According to The Citizen, the Oshoek border posts is one of the top smuggling hotspots for contraband destined for South Africa and has made headlines with police drug busts.

In March, two suspects, one from Eswatini and another from South Africa, were arrested with drugs estimated at R233 000, while in May last year, a 31-year-old man was arrested carrying dagga to the value of R1.2m, the report said.

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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