DURBAN – Police seized heroin and paraphernalia worth almost R500 000 and arrested a man, 25, for drug dealing and drug possession in Phoenix on Saturday.
Metro police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said an operation was conducted aimed at cleaning up the notorious Tycoon Gang in Phoenix, north of Durban, on Saturday.
Officers had conducted a briefing and a plan was put in place to simultaneously penetrate the well-known drug den from various points.
“Officers adopted the grid-search method and combed the area for narcotics. An man was found in possession of 500 heroin capsules,” Sewpersad said.
He said there were multiple suspects who attempted to flee but most were arrested and interviewed, although a few suspects ran away. One individual was seen running out of a flat, officers went to the flat and noticed the door standing wide open.
“The officers saw empty pill capsules lying around, and conducted a search of the flat in which they found 2 500 blue and white heroin capsules and about 400 000 empty capsules. There were also drug-packaging devices found – a capping device and an electric grinder with heroin residue,” Sewpersad said.
One of the suspects is being detained at the Phoenix police station, Sewpersad said.
Law enforcement officers were deployed from the metro police, the tactical support unit, provincial organised crime narcotics unit, and public order policing in Durban.
The operation comes days after the SAPS conducted an intelligence operation at a well-known drug den in Wareham Place in Westham, Phoenix, last Tuesday.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said during the operation, police arrested three suspects aged between 18 and 46, who were in possession of 650 capsules of heroin.
“Police proceeded to Charclay Gardens in Clayfield, where a 31-year-old male was found in possession of 20 mandrax tablets and five rocks of cocaine,” Mbele said.
Daily News