Diligent efforts by members of the Vala Umgodi Pillar 3 initiative have led to the successful interception of a significant consignment of khat plants and the arrest of a 43-year-old male suspect.

According to the Free State Policespokesperson Sergent Mahlomola Kareli it was on Thursday, 5 June 2025, at approximately 18:20, Vala Umgodi Pillar 3 members, acting on intelligence, identified and intercepted a white Toyota Quantum panel van travelling from Gauteng province en route to Cape Town.

The vehicle was tactically stopped by the Tactical Response Team (TRT) on the N1 highway near Kroonstad at approximately 18:50. The suspect initially refused to halt the vehicle, necessitating a strategic and controlled maneuver by the team to close off the panel van in busy traffic conditions on the N1.

Upon inspection of the vehicle, members they allegedly discovered 30 boxes filled with khat plants, with an estimated street value of R210,000, concealed in the back of the panel van.

The 43-year-old male driver was immediately arrested on charges related to the possession of suspected drugs and drug trafficking.

The 43-year-old is expected to appear in the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court soon.

This is but one of many busts by Vala Umgodi initiative to combat organized crime and the illicit trade of drugs that pose a significant threat to our communities. Further investigations are underway to determine the origin and intended distribution network of the intercepted khat.

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