Inside SA's 'biggest' drug bust – 5 things that have emerged so far
26 June 2017
Cape Town – On Wednesday last week a massive haul of drugs, initially thought to be cocaine worth R500m, was discovered in an Overberg town.
At the time, police said the bust was one of the biggest ever in South Africa.
This is what has emerged so far:
- Police said 253 boxes containing cocaine were discovered on a farm in Villierdorp on June 21. However, the drugs discovered may actually be heroin worth less than R500m.
- The drugs were discovered in boxes meant for wine, intended for export, on the Eerste Hoop farm.
- Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said it was alleged the drugs originated from a Boland wine farm.
- Three suspects were arrested. One, Mark Rodrigues, 23, who is Dutch, remains in custody and is expected back in the Caledon Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
- Last Wednesday, several sources with links to the underworld and policing, had said the drugs were discovered on a farm owned by Sea Point businessman Mark Lifman. Lifman denied this and News24 has since determined who actually owns the farm. The claims against Lifman have highlighted an ongoing apparent underworld smear campaign.
