A 15-day operation to crack down on drug dealers, code-name Operation Firefly, came to a close last week after having netted 11 suspects and R24 910 worth of drugs.
A 15-day operation to crack down on drug dealers, code-name Operation Firefly, came to a close last week after having netted 11 suspects and R24 910 worth of drugs.
According to a report released by SAPS spokesperson Inspector Milanda Coetzer on Sunday, hashish, ecstasy, cocaine, mandrax, LSD-R, magic mushrooms and dagga were among the drugs that were confiscated. The operation was initiated by Grahamstown Intelligence Collections and focused on combating drug sales during the recent National Arts Festival. It was a joint operation by the Grahamstown SAPS visible policing, Detectives and Crime Intelligence Collections as well as the Port Alfred Dog Unit. “It formed part of 11 busts that took place during the period, which saw a total of 11 suspects arrested, detained, charged and brought to court on charges of dealing in drugs,” said Coetzer. The suspects were all men aged under the age of 35 years.
“In an interesting turn of events, it was found that more South Africans were involved in the sale of drugs during this year’s Arts Festival than ever before,” Coetzer said.
She added that in the past, the SAPS experienced that mainly foreign nationals were involved in the sale of so-called hard drugs. However, this year it was found that young South African men under the age of 22 were mainly responsible for the sale of these drugs and that many of them, although born elsewhere, had made their home in Grahamstown at the time of the operation. Inspector Danny Brits is the investigating officer in the 11 cases. Director Vakala Moyake, Grahamstown cluster commander, deemed it important to have operations focused on drug dealers to “combat the vicious cycle of drug abuse and the ready sale of drugs to innocent members of the community, particularly during the National Arts Festival”.
Moyake commended the SAPS members and emphasised that drug dealers will not be allowed to roam free.
The total breakdown of the drugs is as follows:
Dagga – R7 410
17 units of hashish – R2 500
110 liquid drops and 24.5 units of LSD – R11 300
2 units of cocaine – R600
31 ecstasy tablets – R1 600
5.5 mandrax tablets – R550
7 bankies of magic mushrooms – R950
Total – R24 910
