Share

Cele vows to find, shut down more drug 'factories' following major bust

Police Minister Bheki Cele has lauded the work of law enforcement agencies that brought down a major drug operation in Harding, KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.

"Drugs and substance abuse [are] a serious problem and we will find these so-called factories and shut them one by one," said Cele following the drug bust.

Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said two people were arrested after a team including the Hawks, Crime Intelligence and Port Shepstone's tactical response team and K9 unit searched a farm "where a huge clandestine drug manufacturing laboratory was found".

"We will continue with the strengthening of the multi-disciplinary approach in responding to crimes of this nature. We will intensify our campaign by working together with our sister departments and relevant stakeholders in the fight against drug and substance abuse," said Cele of the joint operation.

Mulaudzi said the value of the drugs was yet to be determined as investigations were ongoing.

"Various elements of the SAPS (South African Police Service) forensic unit are currently administering the crime scene where large quantities of narcotics that resemble Mandrax and paraphernalia are being processed." 

The operation comes in the wake of months of collaborative investigations, Mulaudzi said.

"Further details regarding this operation will be made available at a later stage," he added.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Can radio hosts and media personalities be apolitical?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes, impartiality is key for public trust
32% - 314 votes
No, let's be real, we all have inherent biases
68% - 655 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
19.21
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.90
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.45
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
-0.3%
Platinum
941.60
-0.9%
Palladium
1,012.00
-1.7%
Gold
2,377.47
-0.1%
Silver
28.23
+0.0%
Brent Crude
87.11
-0.2%
Top 40
66,823
-0.6%
All Share
72,877
-0.5%
Resource 10
62,828
-0.7%
Industrial 25
97,980
-0.5%
Financial 15
15,427
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE