R100k dagga bust in Kimberley, suspected dealer arrested

A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after a major drug bust in Lerato Park, Kimberley, where police uncovered over R100,000 worth of dagga during a targeted raid.

According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock, the bust forms part of the ongoing Operation Shanela II – a province-wide crackdown targeting drug trafficking and other criminal activities in known hot spots. 

Officers from the Kimberley Public Order Policing unit and Roodepan SAPS swooped in on a shack in Lerato Park just after 9am on Friday morning, acting on a tip-off about illegal drug activity in the area. What they found confirmed their suspicions — a stash of dagga weighing more than 13 kilograms, hidden on the premises.

Alongside the massive haul, with an estimated street value of almost R100,000, police also discovered a significant amount of cash suspected to be profits from the illicit trade.

The suspect was promptly arrested and is expected to appear in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court on charges of dealing in dagga.

Authorities say the operation forms part of a broader effort to remove drug dealers from the streets and make communities across the Northern Cape safer.