By Doreen Mokgolo
A suspected drug dealer panicked when police raided his home on Thursday and died after he swallowed some of the drugs he was hiding.
The suspect was taken to the Springs police station where he was to be formally charged but kept complaining about having stomach pains and was asking for water.
Acting SAPS district commissioner Brigadier Lebohang Machakela said the suspect was rushed to a local clinic and later transferred to the Far East Rand Hospital where he died.
“The value of the drugs is unknown at this point as it is still to be quantified together with what he had swallowed,” he said. “Police have opened an inquest, and more investigations are underway.”
Another suspect was arrested for dealing drugs at an address described as a drug den.
The suspects were caught as part of the multidisciplinary Operation Shanela that was carried out in Springs on the East Rand on Wednesday.
Various teams of officials carried out raids at illegal tuckshops and drug dens, and roadblocks were set up on Paul Kruger Road.
A total of 267 suspects were arrested for murder, attempted murder and assault with grievous bodily harm.
Machakela said 23 illegal foreign nationals were arrested at the roadblock and 75 traffic fines totalling R9,500 were issued.
The tuckshop unit arrested eight illegal foreign nationals.
“The operation is continuing in the area. We are not going to disclose when the operation will end but we are working to ensure the residents are safe and feel safe. We want to ensure that there are successes from this operation,” Machakela said.
Pictured above: Operation Shanela.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
