Drugs Worth R20 Million Bound for Cape Town Seized in Midrand Raid, South Africans Weigh In

• The South African Police Service in Gauteng has seized drugs worth R20 million in Midrand
• A 56-year-old suspect has been arrested following a police raid on a plot in Blue Hills, Johannesburg
• It is alleged that the drugs were destined for Cape Town and were packaged in Hermes-branded covers

Gauteng police have seized drugs worth an estimated R20 million during a raid in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 29 October 2025. The narcotics are believed to have been smuggled from a neighbouring country.

What did the police say?

According to police, intelligence officers were acting on information about drugs being stored on the identified Blue Hills plot. A 56-year-old man, believed to be the property owner, was arrested on charges of possession and dealing in drugs.

Police spokesperson, Athlenda Mathe, said that police found 80 kg of cocaine on the plot. Police said the drugs, which were reportedly smuggled in from a neighbouring country, were packaged in Hermes-branded covers and destined for Cape Town. The suspect is expected to appear in the Midrand Magistrates' Court later this week.

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South Africans weigh in

Social media users shared their opinions regarding the seizure.

@BCPS19 said:

"R20-million in cocaine is major supply-level seizure. Plot owner arrested means investigators can trace property records, financial transactions, and distribution networks. Intelligence-led operations targeting storage sites disrupt entire supply chains. Strong work by SAPS!"

@Billy_PMS said:

"Please guard that consignment in police custody, it must not disappear."

@zottyzulu said:

"Imagine how much it costs crime syndicates to stash R20m + how much corruption is involved. Now imagine they decriminalised cocaine. The tax revenue would be massive. Several criminal links would be severed. Dispensing would be safe and consumers taxed."

@tsitso09 said:

"South Africa is a weak state that tolerates lawlessness. Our immigration laws are also weak. These weaknesses attract all sorts of criminals from around the world."

@IAmExcellent_ said:

"He's gonna be in trouble because now the shipment is gone to the police, Let's hope they don't try to get a cop to steal them again."

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@PriddyUglee said:

"I'm counting 80 packages. Meaning each one is R250k. If each one is a key, that means your per gram cost is about R250."

@NireTToc said:

"Called the controlled burn or protection racket. The “sacrificial" R20 million public victory for cops while the Syndicate accept a small, calculated loss which is far cheaper than losing the entire R200 million."

3 More stories about drugs in South Africa

• Briefly News also reported that police in KwaZulu-Natal found eight bags of illegal substances valued at over R86 million in a warehouse. The drugs were stored in bags, which were found in containers brought in on a ship.
• The South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal has seized drugs worth over R1 million in Durban South on Tuesday night, 14 October 2025.
• The South African International Airport in Johannesburg was the scene of a major crime that authorities stopped.

Source: Briefly News