Mpumalanga police arrested three suspects aged between 32 and 52 after allegedly finding dagga on the N2 Road between Pongola and Piet Retief.[1] Officers from the Mahamba port of entry stopped a red Mercedes-Benz minibus carrying two men and a woman during routine patrols.[1] After searching the vehicle and finding eight rolls of dagga wrapped in black plastic bags, officers arrested the three occupants and charged them with dealing in dagga.[1] The two men are South African citizens while the woman is an eSwatini national without valid documentation to be in South Africa.[1] The suspects were expected to appear in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on 20 January 2025 for a formal bail application.[1] Police said additional charges for contravening South Africa’s Immigration Act could follow.[1]
Police said the confiscated dagga weighed at least 45 kilograms, with an estimated street value of about R67,500.[1] The minibus, which police said belongs to the 37-year-old male suspect, was impounded for further investigation.[1]
Preliminary investigations indicated the suspects were travelling from eSwatini toward KwaZulu-Natal.[1] Mpumalanga acting provincial commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi welcomed the arrests and warned against trafficking illegal substances.[1]
