Police in Aliwal North have arrested a 35-year-old suspect after discovering 12 large bags of crystal meth on a truck, with a street value of R33 million.
According to a statement released by the Eastern Cape Department of Community Safety, police members of the Aliwal North Detectives and Crime Intelligence unit received information about a truck that was on its way from Smithfield to Aliwal North, conveying crystal meth.
The statement said the police managed to stop the truck and escorted it to the town to be searched.
“The driver panicked and admitted that he was forced to convey the drugs from Johannesburg to Aliwal North, where the handover was supposed to take place,” the statement read.
The statement added that the suspect is a resident of Gauteng Province.
Eastern Cape Transport and Community Safety MEC Xolile Nqatha has expressed gratitude to the police for swiftly arresting the suspect.
“The arrest of the 35-year-old man serves as proof that our crime-fighting strategies are beginning to produce positive results. We commend the Aliwal North police for apprehending this suspect. In our province, we have reached a point where criminals must understand that if they commit a crime, they will be arrested, and police will defend themselves if attacked by criminals,” Nqatha added.