On Saturday night, SAPS officers from various police units in Pietermaritzburg and a security company embarked on an intelligence-driven operation targeting suspects who were intending to transport dagga to Cape Town, Brigadier Jay Naicker said in a statement.

The information was followed up and the team put a business premises on Edison Road in Mkondeni in Pietermaritzburg under surveillance, as well as a truck that was allegedly used to transport the dagga.

Police officers observed five suspects loading dagga into the truck and pounced on the premises. All five suspects, aged between 21 and 45, were placed under arrest.

A total of 57 bags of dagga, with each bag weighing between 30 to 40kg, were seized by police. The street value of the dagga was estimated at about R1.7 million. A case of possession of dagga was opened at the Alexandra Road Police Station for further investigation. The suspects were expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrates' Court on Monday, Naicker said.

“This arrest proves that we are closing in on suspects who are dealing in drugs within our province. More arrests can be expected as operations are still ongoing,” KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen. Khombinkosi Jula said in the statement.

African News Agency