Man bust for 12.6kg of dagga worth R53k concealed in car at eSwatini border

An eSwatini national appeared in the Piet Retief magistrate's court on Monday for alleged possession of 12kg of dagga in his vehicle on Saturday.

The man was arrested at the Mahamba port of entry at about 10am driving a Toyota Avanza.

"Police could smell a rat when the vehicle looked like it was tampered with. Police searched and discovered a false compartment underneath the rear end of the vehicle, and that is where they found six rolls of loose dagga.

"The stuffed dagga was contained in plastic bags also wrapped as well as covered with brown sellotape," Mpumalanga police spokesperson Col Donald Mdhluli said.

The 29-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of dagga weighing 12.69kg and with an estimated street value of R53,000. The vehicle was also confiscated.

Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Semakaleng Manamela welcomed the arrest, saying "we are continuing to make sure that the province is drug-free".

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