Police seized nearly R12 million worth of drugs during a raid on the premises of an alleged known Phoenix drug dealers den on Thursday.
Two people classified as high-level syndicate members were arrested when police swooped on the den. They were charged for dealing and possession of heroin, mandrax, ecstasy and crack cocaine at the Phoenix police station. One of them faces charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
2 198 heroin caps, 1 065 mandrax tablets, 250 large pieces crack cocaine, 440 crack cocaine pieces, 216 ecstasy pills, and half kilogram heroin powder were seized.
A Glock firearm,19 bullets and one shotgun with three shotgun rounds were also found.
Police also found three two-way radios.
Twenty-five buckets of empty capsules totalling five million, various drug paraphernalia including heroin packaging equipment and R59 000 in cash were also found.
Police estimate the street value to be worth an estimated R12 million.
The raids were conducted by crime intelligence officers, Durban Metro police drug task team, Durban Metro Dog Unit, National Intervention Unit, Shongweni K9.
In a separate bust on another drug den police seized 21 898 heroin capsules, 64 crack cocaine pieces, 18 large pieces of crack cocaine pieces, four bags cocaine, sixty ecstasy pills and one-kilogram heroin powder.
On Wednesday, Democratic Alliance Councillor Sharon Hoosen raised the issue of drug dealing in Phoenix in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
Hoosen said the DA held an Anti-Crime March in June 2017, to hand over a memorandum to the Phoenix Police Station.
They handed over a list with the details of 52 known drug dealers in the community to police.
“In the last two years of handing this information to the station commander. We have not received a report on the number of drug dens closed to date. I handed over the list to the MEC for Community Safety, Mxolisi Kaunda to act promptly and close these dens with immediate effect. The DA will continue to act in the interests of the community and will revert as soon as a response is received,” Hoosen said.
SOURCE IOL
