Two in court on R5.4m mandrax charge
Two Soweto men appeared briefly in the Uniondale Magistrate’s Court on drug dealing charges.
|||Cape Town - Two Soweto men appeared briefly in the Uniondale Magistrate’s Court in the Western Cape on Monday on drug dealing charges after mandrax worth R5.4 million was found in hidden compartments of the car they were travelling in at the weekend.
The drugs - thousands of mandrax tablets - were seized along the N9 highway on the Uniondale road on Saturday afternoon.
“The Organised Crime unit of the Hawks together with the Tsitsikama K9 Unit were doing their routine stop and search when they stopped a white bakkie which was travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town,” said Robert Netshiunda, spokesman for South Africa’s specialised police unit, the Hawks.
“Upon searching the vehicle Hawks members discovered drugs hidden on top of the gearbox, on top of the chassis as well as many other compartments underneath the vehicle. R16 800 in cash was also found in possession of the suspects.”
Netshiunda said the suspects, Bethuel Malebo, and his passenger, Kenny Sithole, 63, were arrested on the spot.
He said it was later discovered that Malebo’s real surname is Mzinyane and that he “has been on the wanted list for suspected drug dealing”.
“He is not new to treading on the wrong side of the law as he was previously found guilty on two charges of theft in Booysens and Johannesburg central,” said Netshiunda.
The men will appear in the Uniondale court again on Wednesday for a bail application.
ANA
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