R1.5m worth of drugs seized in ‘Operation Dawn’ |23 January 2012

The arrest and seizure operation began on Friday when more than thirty NDEA agents supported by tracker dogs set up a number of road blocks and carried out several searches of vehicles and individuals suspected of being involved in distributing a large consignment of cannabis that NDEA intelligence believed had recently arrived in the country.

In a series of follow-up operations, a number of seizures were made after which the illegal drugs were discovered and the two persons arrested.

Those arrested include a 43-year-old casual labourer, and a 32-year-old welder, both from the St Louis area.

The drugs have been secured for scientific analysis and both of those arrested will be held in custody pending their appearance in court on charges in connection with their possession of the drugs.

Despite some stiff opposition and resistance that the NDEA believes was orchestrated by the traffickers anxious to protect their drugs at some of the locations where the operation was centered, the NDEA faced down the trouble makers.

The operation continued into Friday night and extended into several other areas where the NDEA believes that drug related activity was being carried out, and culminated on Sunday morning when the operation was stood down following the seizures and arrests.

This is the second major seizure of cannabis by the NDEA over the past month. Late last December more than 22 kilos of cannabis were seized during the course of an operation at Anse Etoile in respect of which investigations are continuing.