Officers from the Nkangala District Anti-Hijacking Task Team and the Middelburg Flying Squad stopped a white Isuzu truck travelling at high speed on the N4 near Vandyksdrift at about 3:30 pm on Monday 19 October 2026.[1] Under a green tarpaulin covering luggage they found 55 bags of compressed dagga weighing 1,680 kg, which the police valued at about R12 million.[2][1] Each bag was marked with names and destination details.[1]

While the officers were still at the scene, two men aged between 27 and 33 arrived in a white VW Polo with Mpumalanga plates and negotiated for the release of the dagga and the truck driver, the police said.[2][1] They first offered R12,590 and, after being warned against bribery, raised the offer by another R10,000, saying they were desperate to recover the consignment.[2][1] The two men were arrested for alleged bribery and possession of dagga, and the driver was also arrested.[2][1]

All three appeared in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court and were denied bail, the Middelburg Observer reported.[2] The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, said the officers had stood their ground and that police would not allow anyone to corrupt them.[1]