Five police officers are among 48 people arrested for dealing in drugs on Wednesday, after a year-long investigation in the Northern Cape, said police.
The inspector, two sergeants and two constables were arrested with the other suspects in pre-dawn raids. A female civilian employee of the police was also taken into custody, said police spokesperson Superintendent Hendrik Swart.
The arrested police officers, all stationed in the Kimberley area, have been issued with notices of suspension which they have seven days to oppose, he said.
Another five suspects are still sought and will probably be arrested sometime this week. None of them are police officers, said Swart.
In Wednesday’s operation, police seized R12 000 in cash, 439 Mandrax tablets worth an estimated R17 560 on the street, a cellphone, a 1,5m-tall dagga plant, an unspecified quantity of cannabis, and 205 Ecstasy tablets, with a street value of R10 250.
All those arrested will appear in Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of dealing in Mandrax, cannabis and Ecstasy.
The assets of 11 of them will be confiscated, said Captain Cherelle Ehlers.
The raids were conducted by police from several units, watched by Northern Cape safety and liaison minister Boeboe van Wyk, and accompanied by Louis Swanepoel, a deputy provincial commissioner, as well as representatives of the Office of Public Prosecutions.
This is an excellent example of the police’s commitment to addressing drug-related crimes and showing zero tolerance to offenders, said Northern Cape Commissioner Wally McKaiser.
Operation Junior, or Tonfa, started in Kimberley, Postmasburg and Daniëlskuil in March 2003.
An informant infiltrated the syndicate and conducted 73 deals with 55 suspects, involving 8 800 Mandrax tablets, 35 cocaine crystal ”rocks”, one cocaine half-moon, 14 cocaine crystals, 10 bags of cannabis, 45 arms of cannabis and 35 Ecstasy tablets. — Sapa