Mbalula says police taking a hard line to wipe out drug dens

Police have dealt a hammer blow to a narcotics syndicate in Phoenix‚ with the arrest of two men described as “drug kingpins” on Thursday.

The arrest came at the culmination of an intelligence-driven swoop‚ which saw police and crime intelligence personnel descend on a house in the Durban suburb. They found cocaine‚ mandrax and heroin inside the packing house‚ along with R100‚000 in cash. Police have yet to attach a value to the seized narcotics.

As one man was being led away in handcuffs‚ his brother arrived at the scene and during his protest about the raid‚ he too was arrested.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Durban North police station on Friday‚ Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said that the state had taken a hard line against drug trafficking.

“We have embarked on a new approach to bring down drug dens in our cities‚” he said.

“As you have seen in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng‚ now we see the same in KwaZulu-Natal. Major operations have taken place and we can now see the results.”

Police seized 200 kilograms of heroin at the Golela border post on Thursday morning. The suspect was accused of trying to smuggle the massive consignment over the Swaziland border into South Africa.