Man due in court after mandrax worth R200 000 found on PE-bound bus

The drug trade in Nelson Mandela Bay was hit hard over the weekend when a suspected drug dealer was arrested transporting more than 5 000 tablets of mandrax to the Bay, police said.

"This followed after Kinkelbos police received information about the smuggler and the SAPS members waited for him at the BP Petrol Station at Colchester on Saturday morning," described police spokesperson, Captain Andre Beetge.

"The 56-year-old male suspect made use of a public transport bus on route from Bloemfontein to Nelson Mandela Bay. When the bus arrived just after 11:00 at the petrol station, the members searched the bus and arrested him after finding five bags containing more than 1 000 tablets of mandrax each."

He said that the total of more than 5 000 tablets with an estimated street value of more than R200 000 were confiscated, and the 56-year-old suspect will face a charge of dealing in mandrax before the Alexandria Magistrate's Court on Monday.

The Acting Motherwell Cluster Commander, Brigadier Lindelwa Vellem, applauded this drug bust and said; "With the run up to the coming festive season, drug dealers and users can expect to face the full force of the SAPS and the Law to stop them from trading in and abusing drugs in our Metro."