EC woman nabbed with R50,000 dagga-laced confectionery allegedly intended for children

A 54-year-old woman is expected to appear in the Motherwell magistrate’s court for dealing in drugs after being found with dagga-coated confectionery and the discovery by police of a dagga plantation at her Colchester property in the Eastern Cape.

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Capt Marius McCarthy said police were conducting crime prevention patrols along the N2 National Road near Colchester when they noticed suspicious activities at a house in Long Market Street.

“Members approached the house for a search. When permission was granted to search the premises, a dagga plantation in the yard and what appeared like a manufacturing operation, processing labelled packaged dagga-coated sweets, was discovered inside the house.

“A large quantity of fudge, chocolates and jelly-gummy bubble gum laced with dagga was confiscated together with 381.4 grams of loose dagga, two clock humidity scales and an undisclosed amount of cash,“ McCarthy said.

The estimated street value of the confiscated items is about R50,000.

The 54-year-old female owner of the property was arrested on the spot and is due to appear before the Motherwell magistrate’s court on charges of dealing in drugs and the unlawful cultivation of dagga for the purpose of sale.

Sarah Baartman district commissioner Brig Asogran Naidoo said: “Drug dealers are now targeting innocent children, spiking sweets with drugs, effectively luring them into drug addiction. This will not be allowed.”

TimesLIVE