Hawks put the brakes on vehicles 'transporting Mandrax' from Joburg to Cape Town

A New Year's Eve tip-off led to the arrest of two men, who the Hawks caught transporting more than R1m worth of drugs from Gauteng to Cape Town on Friday. 

The Hawks’ SA narcotics enforcement bureau (Saneb) with crime intelligence, the flying squad and dog unit from Hermanus, and provincial traffic officials responded to information about two vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Transporter, travelling with a consignment of drugs on the N2. 

A vehicle matching the description of the Mercedes was spotted on the N2 highway in Grabouw travelling in the direction of Cape Town.

“A joint police team pulled the vehicle over and conducted a search that resulted in the detection of 24 packets of Mandrax tablets containing 24,000 capsules valued at about R840,000. The drugs were found hidden behind the back seat in a false compartment,” said Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Philani Nkwalase.

Nkwalase said a 35-year-old suspect was arrested. The vehicle and tablets were seized for further investigation. He is expected to appear in the Grabouw magistrate's court on January 3 facing a charge of dealing in drugs.

The second vehicle was spotted on the N2 in Heidelberg.

“A total of 100,000 Mandrax tablets contained in 100 packets hidden in a false or makeshift compartment under the flatbed were found after the vehicle was stopped and searched by the joint police team.”

A 52-year-old suspect was arrested, and the tablets and vehicle were seized.

“He is expected to appear in the Heidelberg magistrate's court on January 3 to face a charge of dealing in drugs.”

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