KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Organized Crime Narcotics officers have dismantled a drug syndicate when they arrested two foreign nationals and a local woman for possession and dealing in drugs at Umzinto on Friday, 12 December 2025.
The officers, who specialize in sniffing out drug lords, gathered intelligence about a man from a west African country, his South African girlfriend and another accomplice from a central African country who were suspected of destroying the youth of Umzinto and the surrounding areas by feeding them drugs. The intelligence was operationalised and once due diligence was done, police officers successfully obtained necessary search warrants.
Just before six o’clock on Friday morning, the identified main suspect was intercepted whilst driving his vehicle. During the search, he was found with crystal meth concealed under the driver’s seat, as well as an undisclosed amount of money which was suspected to be proceeds of crime. He was duly arrested and his vehicle was seized. A search at his residence at Malangeni also led to the recovery of an assortment of drugs hidden under the bed.
Further investigations led police to the suspect’s girlfriend’s residence, where police found her in possession of cocaine, crack cocaine and crystal meth. She was also arrested. Police’s last stop was at the residence of the third suspect on Nelson Mandela Road where the suspect was found in possession of almost 5 000 heroin capsules and almost 800kg of heroin powder. He too, was placed under arrest. The estimated value of the recovered drugs is R1.6 milion.
After processing, the three suspects will appear in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court.
Two foreign nationals and a local woman arrested for possession and dealing in drugs at Umzintohttps://t.co/ci9ktFLVHr#ArriveAlive #DrugsOffTheStreets pic.twitter.com/wl85EM018I
– Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) December 13, 2025
