A Cape Town police officer is expected to appear in the Beaufort West Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of dealing in drugs.
The 44-year-old police officer is stationed at Diep River police station in the southern suburbs.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk said the officer was arrested on Saturday, March 2.
“At about 3.15am members of the Beaufort West District Task Team acted on information received regarding possible illegal firearms being transported in a taxi. Members identified the Toyota Verso taxi and stopped and searched it on the N1 at Beaufort West.
“This particular vehicle was on its way to Murraysburg, and during the searching thereof, the following items were found to be in the possession of the taxi driver: 1,006 full mandrax tablets, 11 halve mandrax tablets, 16 quarter mandrax tablets, a further 1,015, and a half mandrax tablet and 502 grams of tik, with an estimated street value of R226,475. The drugs were found in the driver’s backpack,” Van Wyk said.
Van Wyk confirmed the police officer had been charged.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile commended the members for rooting out corrupt elements within their ranks.
“We cannot allow members who are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting our society, being the ones on the wrong side of the law by dealing in drugs,” Patekile said.
In a separate incident, a 42-year-old woman was arrested and detained at Beaufort West police station on Sunday after she was found travelling from Johannesburg en route to Cape Town with R1.5 million worth of drugs.
At 8am, a vehicle checkpoint was conducted at the weigh bridge on the N1 in the area.
“During a search of the luggage on a long-distance bus, the K9 sniffer dog reacted positively to a black bag that could contain narcotics.
“The handler of the K9 police dog followed the lead and upon further investigation, found four containers in the bag with tik estimated at R1,575,768,” Van Wyk said.
Once charged, the woman will appear in the Beaufort West Magistrate’s Court.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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