South African policeman, customs official steal drugs at border post
September 5, 2013
A police constable and an
SA Revenue Service (Sars) employee were arrested for allegedly stealing drugs
at the Lebombo border post on Wednesday, Mpumalanga police said.
“The policeman searched a
taxi from Mozambique while its driver went to stamp his passport, and found a
washing powder, plastic [container] stacked with cocaine estimated at [a street
value of] more than R3 million,” said Colonel Leonard Hlathi.
The officer allegedly
called an off-duty Sars employee who took the drugs to his home.
A police operation was
already underway in response to a tip-off about the taxi entering the country,
and this led to the policeman’s arrest.
“After the constable’s
arrest, he took us to the other suspect’s home where he freely handed the drugs
over and was arrested.”
The police later arrested
the taxi driver.
They would all appear in
the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. – Sapa
