Hawks crack Southern Cape drug syndicate

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Three of the 16 suspects arrested during a take-down of a drug trafficking syndicate on Thursday 16 March, are from George.

Vladimir Gordon (36), Louis Emezo (36) and Malvyn Jacobs (44) appeared with 13 other suspects in the Oudtshoorn Magistrate's Court on Monday 20 March where the case was postponed until 27 March for a formal bail application.

They face charges of dealing in drugs, money laundering and a pattern of racketeering activity.

The other suspects are Manfred John (36), Marshal Mclune (32), Madalyna Adams (26), Vincent Goba (49), August Wild (48), Ann Erasmus (58), Vivian Arries (46), Wilburg Paulsen (39), Arlington Hurling (40), Shaun Hendricks (40), Chantelle Manevill (26) and Reginald Fillies (58), collectively from Oudtshoorn, Gqeberha, Ladismith, De Rust and Calitzdorp.

All the accused are in custody except Maladyna Adams, who is out on warning.

The arrests stem from a series of raids across the Southern Cape and Gqeberha.

It is reported that the main target has been operating in the drug trade in the Oudtshoorn area for decades.

According to a spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Zinzi Hani, search warrants were executed by a multi-disciplinary team led by the Hawks in the Western Cape together with Crime Intelligence, the Oudtshoorn K9 Unit, District Crime Combatting Team, public order policing unit (Pops) as well as the Hawks teams based in George, Beaufort West and the Eastern Cape.

Louis Emezo

"This syndicate was mainly operating in the Garden Route District (George, De Rust, Oudtshoorn, Ladismith, Pacaltsdorp and Calitzdorp)," said Hani.

"The main suppliers of these drugs are from George and Gqeberha. Since the inception of this operation from 2019 until March 2023, a total of 5 354 Mandrax tablets and 816 grams of tik to the value of R421 070 was seized from the suspects. Consequently, a total of 32 cases were registered with 54 charges."

Jacobs and Gordon, who are by no means strangers to the drug industry in the Garden Route, have both been arrested on previous occasions on drug charges. In February 2020, Jacobs and a woman were pulled over on the N12, just outside George from the direction of Oudtshoorn, when they were both arrested for possession of 372g tik with an estimated street value of R120 000.

They were on their way back to George from Gqeberha. Four laptops that were in the car with them were also confiscated.

Jacobs was released on bail of R30 000 on that occasion.

Vladimir Gordon