On Wednesday afternoon, members of the K9 dog unit searched the gardener and found him in possession of two grams of cat (methcathinone), Captain Stephen Thakeng said in a statement.

He told them he had bought the drug, valued around R700 on the street, for his employer.

Warrant Officer David Scott and Warrant Officer Wassie Wasmuth, and their dogs Natan and Ivan, then searched the house of the 40-year-old woman and found cat containers.

Police confiscated the drug and containers for further investigation and arrested the policewoman and her gardener. They would appear in the Welkom Magistrate's Court on Friday.

Thakeng said the Hawks would take over the investigation.

Free State Commissioner Lt-Gen Khehla Sitole said the arrest of a police member showed that no one was above the law.

"My appreciation goes to the two members Scott and Wasmuth for their dedication and commitment to serve professionally in ensuring that perpetrators are brought to book," Sitole said.