A 27-year-old suspect was arrested after being found with dagga wrapped around his waist on Monday afternoon at Jeppes Reef border post.

The man was intercepted by police as he tried to enter SA illegally from Eswatini.

“As part of the Easter weekend operations, at about 12.10pm police were busy with their routine duties including patrolling the border between SA and the kingdom of Eswatini, when they spotted a suspicious man who used an illegal crossing near Jeppes Reef to enter into SA. He was reportedly stopped and after searching him, police noticed that he wrapped himself with dagga about his body weighing about 1.90kg,” Police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said

Mohlala said the man was arrested and charged with possession of dagga.

“The estimated street value of the dagga is at about R2,964. He was then arrested and charged for possession of dagga and he is expected to appear before the Nkomazi magistrate’s court on Tuesday facing the said charges,” he said.

The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lt-Gen Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, has applauded Border Policing for the arrest.

Manamela warned those who might think of smuggling illegal items in or out of the country that they will be met with the long arm of the law.

“As police, we are always vigilant to prevent any criminal activity along the borders and within,” said Manamela.