- Dagga worth around R1 million was seized on the N1 near Beaufort West.
- The driver, who hails from Khayelitsha in Cape Town, was arrested.
- It is the third such arrest in two days on the N1 towards Cape Town.
Western Cape police confiscated dagga worth around R1 million on the N1 near Beaufort West on Monday.
This was the latest in a series of blows to the drug trafficking industry following two other finds on the N1 near Laingsburg and 999kg of cocaine disguised as vehicle components in a container in Durban.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies said the behaviour of a truck driver caught the eye of police patrolling the provincial border area on the N1 near Beaufort West on Monday afternoon.
The driver was flagged down, and the police found 500kg of dagga in 28 bags at the back of the truck.
Private use of dagga is permitted in South Africa but the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill is still in the works, so rules about its transport and purchase for private use are not clear yet.
The driver hailed from Khayelitsha in Cape Town. He was on his way from Durban to the Cape Metro, where the cargo would be sold.
Appear
The driver was arrested and is due to appear in the Beaufort West Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
Early on Sunday morning, the police responded to a tip-off about a minibus taxi transporting drugs for suspected delivery in Cape Town.
Traffic officers noticed a heavily laden Toyota Quantum, even though it only had one passenger.
The vehicle was stopped on the N1 near Laingsburg, and was searched.
The police said seven bags of dagga with an estimated street value of R1.1 million were found stashed inside the vehicle.
Later on Sunday, Laingsburg police acted on information about a delivery truck transporting drugs from Durban.
Spies said:
Two people, aged 33 and 39, were arrested on charges of dealing in drugs.
On July 30, 999 bricks of cocaine weighing 1 000kg with a street value of R500 million were seized at Durban harbour.
The stash was in a container holding Scania truck cabs, and a new container seal was at the ready for whoever was supposed to collect the stimulant and cover their tracks.