Police shutdown drug farm

Crime/ 14 November 2019/ 16:45pm/ Lebona Lekoena

MEC for Police, Roads and Transport Sam Mashinini and National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole raided a mandrax manufacturing lab on a farm called Ha lefaso near Phuthaditjhaba: Image Supplied

QwaQwa: A drug manufacturing lab on the farm near Phuthaditjhaba in the eastern free state has been dismantled by police on Thursday, November 14th.

The police accompanied by  the mec for Police, Roads  and Transport Sam Mashinini and National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole raided a mandrax manufacturing lab on a farm called Ha lefaso near  Phuthaditjhaba and discovered thousands of mandrax tablets and acidic substances believed to be used for manufacturing of drugs.

On seeing the police, suspects fled in a Toyota fortuner  and another on foot.  A high speed chase  between police and fortuner ensued from the farm and the suspect’s vehicle  was eventually stopped at warden and a suspect in his 50s was arrested.  While this was happening a 32 year old suspect was persued on foot and was also arrested.

Police has seized the drug manufacturing equipment and mandrax tablets worth millions of rands.

Mec Sam Mashinini has welcomed the raid and said it is a major breakthrough in their efforts to combat drug abuse in the province. He  praised Police for a job well done and said he will ensure that drug lords are permanently removed from the society.

Meanwhile the people accused the police of delaying raid at the farm.

Disema Moeketsi told The Insider that he suspect foul play by those in power.

“From the look of the things those in authority knew long time ago about the farm but they never raided it. Who knows if they were benefiting from it,” he said.

The Insider found that since the existence of the manufacturing farm there has been increase on substance abuse cases in the Free State and parts of the Kwazulu Natal where many students mostly females were used as deliverers.

The two who got arrested will appear in Phuthaditjhaba Margistrate on Friday.