MIDRAND, GAUTENG – A multidisciplinary crime intelligence-driven operation has led to the seizure of cocaine worth an estimated R20 million at a smallholding in Blue Hills, Midrand.
The bust took place on Tuesday evening, 28 October 2025, when a joint law enforcement team—comprising members from Crime Intelligence Head Office, Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, SAPS Johannesburg K9 Unit, and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC)—followed up on intelligence regarding drugs allegedly being stored at a plot in the area.
According to preliminary investigations, the cocaine, weighing approximately 80 kilograms, was smuggled into South Africa from a neighbouring country and was destined for Cape Town in the Western Cape.
The illicit substances were discovered hidden inside a storage room on the identified property. A 56-year-old man, believed to be the owner of the plot, was arrested at the scene.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Midrand Magistrate’s Court later this week on charges of possession of drugs and dealing in drugs.
Police say investigations are continuing to determine the full extent of the drug network and whether more suspects are involved.