After six months of intelligence-gathering, cops swooped on the house of a family of alleged drug dealers in Phoenix.
|||Durban - Police swooped on the house of a family of alleged drug dealers in Phoenix on Monday, arresting three suspects.
The raid was the culmination of a six-month intelligence-gathering operation and involved officers from the Crime Intelligence, Organised Crime and National Intelligence Units.
Neighbours stood cautiously outside their homes peering at the two-bedroom house in Hemside Crescent, which had been descended upon by armed SAPS members. The site also has an outbuilding with a double garage below. The property had at least six CCTV cameras.
Jay Naicker, spokesman for the KZN SAPS, said seven “controlled purchases” from the alleged dealers had been made by undercover police.
A well-placed police source said the Phoenix community would welcome the arrests of members of the family, who were allegedly involved in dealing in mandrax, cocaine and whoonga.
“The drug business started with the parents about 20 years ago, and it’s continued. The father and two sons (aged between 19 and 63) were arrested, but it’s understood the entire family (including the mother and two daughters) is involved,” Naicker said.
“There have been a number of complaints received from the public, and even though members from this family have been arrested before, their operations didn’t cease,” he said.
Naicker said the three were alleged to have been directly involved in a drugs transaction with a police informant who spent about R900 of marked cash on four pieces of crack cocaine and six mandrax tablets immediately before the raid.
It had been the undercover operative’s eighth purchase from the alleged dealers, with police having bought about R7 000 worth of cocaine and mandrax during the six-month investigation.
The property was searched for evidence, including drugs and cash, and external computer hard drives, cellphones and other electronic equipment were removed.
“The CCTV cameras were recording and police have seized this footage, which will be used to profile some of those involved,” Naicker said.
The police source said that little stock had been found at the scene during the raid. Two mandrax tablets and R8 200 in cash was found on the premises.
“Often drug dealers keep the stock at a relative’s place or use people in the community to help them.
“The drugs are often bought from other dealers and then sold with their own mark-up,” Naicker said.
The bust follows an announcement last week by provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonye Ngobeni ordering that provincial task teams set up to fight drug syndicates be disbanded.
The three were expected to appear in court this week on charges of dealing in drugs.
lauren.anthony@inl.co.za
Daily News