logo
Mpumalanga man appears in court on drug dealing charges

Mpumalanga man appears in court on drug dealing charges

The Citizen6 days ago
John Mathebula (37) appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on July 28 on a charge of dealing in dagga, with an estimated street value of R1.5 million.
According to the Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, members of the SAPS White River K9 Unit acted on intelligence regarding a white Toyota Corolla suspected of being used to transport dagga smuggled across the border by drug mules.
ALSO READ: Nelspruit magistrate postpones judgment in Johan Louwrens' culpable homicide trial
'The vehicle had been identified as part of an ongoing investigation. At about 18:40 on July 25, informants spotted the vehicle travelling from Barberton towards Mbombela. The team successfully intercepted it near Mataffin. The driver attempted to flee on foot but was swiftly apprehended,' she said.
ALSO READ: Three men sentenced to life for brutal Bushbuckridge double murder
Ndubane also said upon searching the vehicle, police discovered 17 bags of dagga, weighing approximately 250kg, with a street value estimated at R1.5 million. The vehicle was confiscated for further investigation.
Mathebula was arrested on the scene and charged with dealing in dagga. He was granted R1 000 bail and is expected to appear in court again on September 29.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How to combat the spike in school burglaries in the Western Cape?
How to combat the spike in school burglaries in the Western Cape?

Eyewitness News

time2 hours ago

  • Eyewitness News

How to combat the spike in school burglaries in the Western Cape?

R1 million in repairs. The Western Cape Education (WCED) is counting the cost of what it says is an increase in the number of incidents of school burglaries and vandalism over the recent holiday. The Department said the number climbed from 45 last year to 57 this year. Western Cape Provincial Minister of Education, David Maynier, said: "Funding will now have to be diverted from educational activities because of the selfish actions of criminals." He added that even though the crimes were minor in nature, they impacted the everyday functionality of schools. Clive Arries, the Principal of West End Primary School says:

Sharpeville cops busted in ransom scandal
Sharpeville cops busted in ransom scandal

The Citizen

time7 hours ago

  • The Citizen

Sharpeville cops busted in ransom scandal

VEREENIGING – Following allegations involving the unlawful detention and extortion of a foreign national, two Sharpeville SAPS members, Constable Gift Mncedi Nteso (33) and Reservist/Constable Seipati Mofokeng (39), appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court. A senior SAPS official brought the matter to the attention of the Serious Corruption Investigation (SCI) unit in Vaal Rand. A Chinese national had allegedly been unlawfully detained by SAPS members, with a reported demand of R3 000 for his release. An investigation was immediately launched, and verbal 252A authorisation (entrapment) was secured from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in Pretoria to monitor the transaction. Before the suspects could collect the full amount, information surfaced that R1 000 had already been paid, and the victim had been released without any formal record of arrest being filed at the police station. SCI members proceeded to Sharpeville SAPS, where two suspects were identified, questioned, and subsequently arrested after failing to provide any lawful justification for the arrest or release of the complainant. Both suspects face charges of kidnapping, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice. The Vereeniging Magistrate's Court granted the duo R1 000 bail each. The accused are expected to appear in court again on September 1.

Alleged extortion kingpin killed in Eastern Cape police shootout
Alleged extortion kingpin killed in Eastern Cape police shootout

IOL News

time9 hours ago

  • IOL News

Alleged extortion kingpin killed in Eastern Cape police shootout

An alleged extortion kingpin was killed in a shootout with police in the Eastern Cape, following a series of threats against local teachers. Image: File THE suspected extortion kingpin killed during a recent shoot out with the police had apparently demanded to be paid R1000 'protection fee' by each teacher of an Eastern Cape school. Eastern Cape police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said an investigation was launched following extortion allegations against teachers from a local school in Ngqeleni. A threatening letter was reportedly sent to the school where gang members demanded R1 000 in protection fees from each teacher, with warning of repercussions if payments were not made. 'An investigation was launched following a demand of protection fee from teachers in one of Ngqeleni high schools by self-proclaimed extortion gang member/s. The case is investigated by the Eastern Cape Provincial Organised Crime Unit. A 30-year-old male suspect was fatally wounded during an exchange of gunfire with police in the Canzibe Administrative Area, Ngqeleni.' She said officers attached to Tactical Response Team (TRT) were acting on intelligence regarding a suspect linked to a local extortion ring, and came under fire when they attempted to stop a vehicle driven by the suspect. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading 'The suspect stopped the vehicle and opened fire on the police officers. Police returned fire in self-defence, fatally wounding the suspect. A 9mm pistol and ammunition were recovered at the scene. The deceased suspect was accompanied by a male passenger at the time of the incident. The passenger has been taken in for questioning.' No police officers were injured during the incident. 'All necessary role players attended the scene. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) will investigate the shooting as per standard protocol.' Criminologist Dr Simon Howell said the most effective strategy to tackle issues like extortion involves a multi-nodal, multi-departmental approach that includes cooperation across different law enforcement bodies and government departments. Success depends on simultaneous engagement at multiple levels. 'It may have an impact but considering the extent and complexity of organised criminal networks especially those involved in extortion, I don't think that one individual would have that significant of an impact. 'We need to understand extortion is embedded in the daily governance and operation of the South African bureaucracy so it's very difficult (to tackle). Removing an individual is not necessarily going to do anything except create a leadership vacuum and perhaps some infighting,' said Howell. Cape Times

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store