Cocaine Worth R250,000 Seized from Nigerian National in Nelspruit Raid

• A 57-year-old Nigerian man was arrested in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga for storing cocaine worth R250,000
• The South African Police Service in Mpumalanga seized the drugs during a raid on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, in Matafeni
• The suspect told the police that the drugs belonged to a friend who is now in hiding in Johannesburg

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

MPUMALANGA, NELSPRUIT- A 57-year-old Nigerian national was arrested in Matafeni near Nelspruit after police seized cocaine valued at an estimated R250,000 during an intelligence-driven operation.

Man allegedly storing drugs at a property

Mpumalanga police said they acted on information about a man allegedly storing drugs at a property in Matafeni. A multidisciplinary team comprising SAPS Provincial Organised Crime Investigation, White River K9 and the Pienaar Tactical Response Team conducted a raid in the early hours of Wednesday, 18 February 2026. Officers found the suspect inside the house and presented him with a search warrant before searching the premises. During the operation, police recovered and seized cocaine with an estimated street value of R250,000 for forensic analysis.

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Police said the suspect claimed during questioning that the drugs belonged to a friend who had left them at the house for safekeeping in late January 2026. He further alleged that the supposed owner had fled to Johannesburg and was in hiding because police were looking for him. The accused, identified as Patrick Izuchukwu Udeh, appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, on a charge of dealing in drugs. The matter was postponed to 3 March 2026 for further proceedings.

Acting Mpumalanga provincial commissioner Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi commended the team for the arrest and said police in the province maintain a zero-tolerance stance on drug-related crimes. He added that the suspect who allegedly fled would be traced and brought to book.

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An Australian court has sentenced convicted cocaine smuggler Ahmed Haouchar to 10 years in prison, linking him directly to Gauteng, the alleged base of South Africa's so-called "Big Five" cartel. The Gauteng link emerged from a R450-million cocaine shipment smuggled from OR Tambo International Airport to Sydney in October 2023. Authorities in Australia intercepted the 100kg consignment in the cargo hold of a passenger aircraft after it landed.

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A 51-year-old man was arrested after police discovered drugs worth over R1 million at his premises in the Bluff, Durban. Police found over a million rand in cocaine from one of the alleged biggest Durban South drug distributors. Three 1kg bricks of pure cocaine, worth an estimated R1.2 million, along with a firearm, ammunition, and several cellphones, were recovered. The suspect has been charged with drug and firearm-related offences and is expected to appear in court soon.

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

Source: Briefly News