In what they regard as a huge breakthrough in the fight against illegal drugs, the Levubu Police have arrested two men in possession of dagga to the value of about a half a million rand, and charged them with dealing in dagga.

The two suspects, Solomon Kwinda (61) and Ndanduleni Khangale (41), both from Tshakhuma village, were arrested at Tshakhuma in the Muhovhoya area on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the spokesperson of the police at Levubu, Insp Ntshengedzeni Makondelele, the police were busy with Operation Faranani when they arrested a suspect, Ndanduleni Khangale. Makondelele said that the police started to embark on the stop-and-search campaign towards midday.

Makondelele indicated the police saw a group of men alongside the road. They stopped with a view to searching them. Before they started with the search, it is alleged that Khangale threw a plastic bag containing 430g of dagga into the nearby bushes.

The police traced the bag and Khangale was, according to the police statement, quick to reveal to the police that he bought the "illegal tobacco" from the second suspect, Solomon Kwinda. Khangale led them to Kwinda’s home where they found eight bags full of dagga inside the ceiling.

The statement further indicates that Kwinda confessed to the police that the dagga was his and that it was his only source of income. Makondelele revealed that the dagga weighed 80.23kg and that its street value is about R500 000.

The suspects appeared in the Levubu Magistrate’s court on Wednesday. Khangale was found guilty of possession of dagga and fined to R1 500 or three months imprisonment. Kwinda was granted bail of R5 000 and his case was postponed to February 1.