Predawn raid a success

Graeme Hosken
Crime Report

An international drug syndicate plying its trade through South Africa has been smashed in a predawn raid over the weekend.

The operation, conducted by the South African police Service's Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations (Hawks), saw 16 people including the cartel's kingpin being arrested in raids in Gauteng and North West province.

The raids, says national police commissioner Bheki Cele, is a culmination of two years of intensive investigations following tip offs
from communities in the North West province.

Since the start of Operation Dintwa (War), which saw law enforcers raiding luxury homes in Sandton, Midrand, Johannesburg, Soweto, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom over the weekend, police have seized R22-million worth of drugs and arrested numerous people including police members, said Cele.

He said the drugs were being smuggled by the Nigerian run syndicate from South America to South Africa and then on to other countries.

This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, Pretoria News.

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