Police have seized dagga and mandrax with an estimated street value of R1.5 million from a truck travelling towards Cape Town, while the driver managed to escape after jumping from the moving vehicle.
The seizure was made by the police’s Tracing and Narcotics Team, acting on intelligence, after officers stopped the truck on the N1 South in the Free State.
Police say officers had been monitoring information and conducting observations for several weeks after receiving reports that the truck was allegedly being used to transport dagga and other drugs between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
After stopping the vehicle, officers informed the driver of the reason for the operation. However, while the truck was being escorted to Parys SAPS for a search, the driver unexpectedly jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled on foot.
A subsequent search uncovered more than 450 bales of dagga, each weighing approximately one kilogram, as well as seven one-kilogram packs of mandrax.
The owner of the truck has denied any knowledge of or association with the drugs found inside the vehicle.
Police say an enquiry has been opened and investigations are continuing. The truck has been impounded, while the search for the driver remains ongoing.
