Lockdown dopes: Johannesburg crooks busted for huge dagga stash

During a national lockdown? Really? A pair of bungling drug-pushers were arrested at the MTN taxi rank in Johannesburg on Tuuesday, after they were caught smuggling huge quantities of dagga in the back of their vehicle. The busted suspects were slammed for ‘posing a serious health risk to everyone else’:

2 Arrested by GTP SPU
Large quantity of Dagga seized at JHB MTN TAXI RANK

Part of Collaborative #LockdownSA Ops with SANDF @SAPoliceService @JoburgMPD @FaithMazibukoSA @MbalulaFikile
Those who refuse to comply with travel restrictions are a serious health risk to everyone pic.twitter.com/91mgMtxcbb

— GTP Gauteng Traffic Police (@GTP_Traffstats) March 31, 2020

Locked down during lockdown: Huge dagga bust from SAPS

It goes without saying that they’ve broke several laws here – including those stipulated in the recently-published National Disaster Act. They are breaking the rules of lockdown, as only essential travel is permitted for South African citizens. But just look at the size of those bags – pandemic or otherwise, this is enough gear to land anyone with a severe jail sentence:

#sapsGP Two suspects were arrested at MTN taxi rank, Johannesburg with dagga during #21DaysLockdown patrols. #DrugsOffTheStreets NP pic.twitter.com/IGYUmkY75m

— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) March 31, 2020

But wait, there’s more…

Not to be outdone, a drug dealer in Cape Town was stopped with roughly 1 000 Mandrax tablets in his possession on Tuesday. Its R50 000 street value made life easy for the arresting officers:

“Cape Town Metro Police officers recovered Mandrax with a street value of R50 000 at a lockdown roadblock on the N7 at around 10:00 on Tuesday. Officers engaged with the driver of a silver Polo to check if he had the necessary documentation to be on the road, but couldn’t produce any identification and appeared nervous.”

“They searched his vehicle and found 1 000 mandrax tablets. It later emerged that the 23-year-old suspect has gang affiliations. He was arrested for the possession of drugs as well as transgression of the Disaster Management Act. Officers arrested two more suspects at the same roadblock, and the trio were detained.”

Cape Town Metro Police spokesperson Ruth Solomons