Cape Town – Police in the Western Cape have arrested two suspects and confiscated drugs worth R1.4 million.
In a statement released on Monday, provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies said members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) Rural Flying Squad were deployed along the N1 highway to conduct patrols when they spotted a Toyota Quantum with tinted windows.
He said as officers approached the vehicle it sped off and a high-speed chase ensued.
Officers called in reinforcements from the Laingsburg Crime Prevention Unit (CPU) and members of the Western Cape Provincial Traffic officials to the area.
The joint team brought the vehicle to a halt and the occupants in the minibus taxi got out of the vehicle and tried to flee on foot.
The driver of the vehicle was chased down and arrested, while the passenger managed to evade arrest. Upon inspection of the vehicle, officers found 60 bags of cannabis weighing 738.1kg.
However, officers continued searching for the suspect who fled the scene.
Spies said their patience paid off when the suspect reappeared near the scene and climbed into a Toyota Corolla. Officers stopped the vehicle and arrested the suspect.
Spies said the suspects, aged 30, will appear in the Laingsburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of dealing in drugs.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile praised the vigilance of the officers for not only apprehending the suspects but removing the drugs from the streets.
This follows a similar incident last week where two suspects were arrested after they were allegedly found with 68 bags of cannabis with an estimated street value of R1.16 million on the N1 freeway in Paarl on Monday night.
African News Agency (ANA)
