Teddy Mafia: Drugs seized from flats opposite alleged drug lord’s home

Several homes believed to belong to relatives of Yaganathan Pillay – better known as Teddy Mafia – have been raided on Tuesday and drugs valued at approximately R100 000 have been found. Pillay was gunned down in his Shallcross home in Durban on 4 January, and the alleged drug dealer’s street has again become the focus of police investigation with the latest spree of seizures. 

Reports suggests that the flats belong to relatives of the slain gangster, however police have insisted that they are not aware of this direct link as of yet. 

Drugs seized from flats opposite home of Teddy Mafia  

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) – better known as the Hawks – have confirmed that the raids took place on Tuesday, with three houses searched for illicit substances. 

Spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that they had found a variety of drugs – including those of the pharmaceutical variety –  in one of the flats, which is situated opposite the home of Teddy Mafia

“A joint operation was conducted after Pietermaritzburg’s Serious Organised Crime unit received information about drugs which were kept in three houses at Table Mountain Road in Shallcross area, Chatsworth,” he said. 

“In one of the flats members found Mandrax tablets, ecstasy tablets, ecstasy powder, cocaine powder, dagga and schedule 5 prescription drugs. The street value of the seized drugs is about R100 000.”

Over R100 000 of drugs seized  

Mhlongo said that one person was arrested after he fled from one of the flats when the Hawks arrived. 

“Members proceeded to the said flat and on arrival noticed a male running away from the flat. He was chased and arrested. The 43-year-old suspect was found in possession of 28 heroine capsules and one Mandrax tablet. 

The arrested suspect is expected to appear in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

‘No evidence suggesting suspects are relatives of Teddy Mafia’ 

South African Police Spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naiker said that police are working to identify the suspects but are as of yet unable to confirm whether they are related to Pillay, who gained notoriety as one of the area’s major dug kingpins over an alleged crime spree that spanned decades. 

“The deceased in this matter have not been identified as the family do not know them personally. Members of the victim-identification section are working on identifying who they are and where they’re from,” said Naiker. 

“No murder weapons have been seized and investigations are ongoing.”

Teddy Mafia’s daughter, Navechnie Chunder, insisted shortly after her father’s murder (and the subsequent beheading and burning alive of his alleged killers in the street) that her Pillay was never convicted of the crimes he was so frequently accused of, and was a generous provider to the Chatsworth community where he grew up.

Pillay was buried in a diamond encrusted coffin after a R300 000 funeral in Shallcross last week.