East London police swooped on a 39-year-old man with drugs with an estimated street value of almost R500,000 at the weekend.
He was arrested at Thornburn Terrace flats in Southernwood during “Operation Tropical Storm” on Saturday.
Nabbing the man, who is expected to appear in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday, is seen as a big step in getting drugs off the street.
Police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala said when they pounced on the man’s flat, he was allegedly in possession of 4,018 ecstasy pills with an estimated street value of R401,800 and 326 mandrax pills with an estimated street value of R29,340.
Police also recovered an undisclosed amount of money, which is suspected of being the proceeds of illicit deals in drugs.
Mqala said the Crime Prevention Unit raided the flat following a tip-off.
“They went to the place and asked permission to search the premises from the occupant,” she said.
Mqala said the man was expected to apply for bail in the East London magistrate’s court. He has been charged with dealing in drugs.
Saturday’s arrest follows a number of other drug busts in the city recently.
A block of flats in Quigney was identified as one of the main drug dens, as was a farm in Berlin.
And in what is believed to be the biggest drug bust in the city, alleged meth (tik) “cook” Kingsley Obi Udeobi, 31, was arrested at his home in Belgravia Flats in 2017, allegedly with 105kg of processed and unprocessed drugs worth R70m as well as equipment used to manufacture the drugs.
Also in 2017, a 45-year-old man in possession of drugs worth about R2m was arrested at his flat in Amalinda...