EASTERN CAPE – Three suspects are scheduled to appear before the Cofimvaba Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 08 September 2026, facing allegations of possession and dealing in dagga following a targeted law enforcement operation in the Mkhukhwini Locality.
According to a Bridge Camp Police spokesperson, the operation was initiated on the evening of Sunday, 06 September 2026, after authorities received actionable intelligence regarding two homesteads allegedly involved in drug trafficking within the Qamata Administration Area of Cofimvaba.
During the raid on the first homestead, law enforcement officers encountered two suspects, aged 23 and 56. Authorities reportedly seized 82 dagga sachets, 13 dagga bompies, and three parcels of loose dagga with a collective weight of 3,200 grams, valued at over R6,500.00. Additionally, an undisclosed amount of cash, believed to be proceeds of criminal activities, along with packets of illicit cigarettes, was discovered and confiscated as official exhibits. (Initial reports described the group of three suspects as being between 22 and 53 years old, though the specific ages of those encountered at the first location were documented as 23 and 56).
At a second homestead, police apprehended a 22-year-old foreign national in possession of 220 grams of dagga, with an estimated street value of R1,300.00. Officers also recovered packets of illicit cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash at this location. All seized items across both properties were formally cataloged and taken as exhibits.
The 22-year-old suspect was requested to produce documentation proving legal immigration status but failed to do so. Consequently, in addition to the charges of possession and dealing in dagga, the individual faces an additional charge of illegal immigration and was arrested on the spot.
A Bridge Camp Police spokesperson confirmed that all arrested suspects were released on warning to make their first court appearance before the Cofimvaba Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 08 September 2026. However, the foreign national suspect remains in custody, detained pending further processing and handover procedures by immigration officers.
