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Court gavel
A drug trafficker who was nabbed by police on the N1 in Beaufort West in the Central Karoo has been handed a 20-year sentence in the local regional court.
The man was found with almost R3 million worth of drugs after being stopped at a vehicle checkpoint outside the town in 2018.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of almost 60 000 mandrax tablets.
Police spokesperson Chris Spies says a second accused was eventually acquitted after a lengthy trial.
Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, has lauded the sentence, saying the strategic deployment of resources at entry and exit routes into the Western Cape is bearing fruit.
#sapsWC Police efforts to eradicate drug trafficking yielded results with a 20yr imprisonment imposed on a man in the Beaufort West Regional Court for dealing in drugs worth R2.95m.
On 20/08, Beaufort West police & Central Karoo K9 pulled over a VW panel van at the N1 Weigh… pic.twitter.com/cIT0dsX2kk
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) August 27, 2025
