Gauteng police have made a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, seizing cocaine worth an estimated R20 million during a high-level operation in Midrand. Officers discovered the drugs on Tuesday, 28 October 2025, at a smallholding in the Blue Hills area during a crime intelligence-driven operation.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the operation was led by a multidisciplinary team from the Crime Intelligence Head Office, supported by the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit, SAPS Johannesburg K9, and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
“According to further investigation, the drugs were brought into South Africa from a neighbouring country and were destined for Cape Town, Western Cape,” said Mathe. The cocaine, weighing about 80 kilograms, was found hidden in a storage room on the property. A 56-year-old man, believed to be the owner of the plot, was arrested on the scene. He is expected to appear before the Midrand Magistrate’s Court later this week on charges of possession and dealing in drugs.
Brigadier Mathe commended the multidisciplinary team for their swift action, saying such operations demonstrate the police’s commitment to dismantling organised crime networks across the country.
