Colesberg
A 37-year-old foreign national is behind bars and a dagga worth over R7.5 million is off the streets following a joint operation on the N1 outside Colesberg on Wednesday, 22 July 2026.
The Northern Cape traffic officials stopped a white Foton truck carrying mobile toilets at the Weigh Bridge just before 2 am. Acting on a tip-off that a vehicle was being used to transport drugs, they became suspicious and detected a strong smell of cannabis coming from one of the toilets. A search revealed a large bag hidden inside.
Colesberg SAPS were called in, and a full search uncovered seven bulk bags wrapped in sellotape, packed with suspected dagga. The haul weighed in at 379.3 kilograms, with an estimated street value of R7,586,000 Both the truck and trailer were confiscated.
Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, commended the quick work of the officers involved, saying the bust demonstrates the effectiveness of cooperation between SAPS and Provincial Traffic.
“The cross-border drug trade remains a priority for us. We will continue working with all our partners to intercept illegal substances before they reach our communities,” said Otola.
The size of this bust leaves little doubt law enforcement in the Northern Cape is tightening the net, and the days of traffickers moving their product unchallenged are numbered.
