The Free State Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) arrested three men on drug charges on Thursday and Friday last week, but not before one of them tried to flee in a car.
During an investigation into suspected drug dealing, the Hawks together with Crime Intelligence and Welkom K9 followed up information of a drug delivery in Virginia on Thursday last week.
The supposed vehicle was spotted and in an effort to stop it, a high speed police chase ensued through the streets of Virginia. In an attempt to evade arrest the 55-year-old suspect rammed the police vehicle but he was arrested a short distance away.
During the pursuit he threw away a large number of suspected mandrax into a storm water drain. He also swallowed some of the drugs and members were forced to contact the emergency services to take him to hospital.
Members managed to retrieve a few mandrax tablets next to the storm water drain and a further tablets and a white powder inside the vehicle. The Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) is probing both substances.
The suspect will appear at the Welkom Magistrate Court today and will face charges of attempted murder, dealing in drugs and reckless driving.
In another separate incident, the same team arrested two suspects aged 43 and 25 for allegedly dealing in drugs.
The two were arrested on Friday last week after the team obtained search and seizure warrants targeting two houses in Bronville, Welkom.
The search of the first house, the members managed to seize an assortment of drugs which included amongst other mandrax tablets and dagga worth over R70 000.
In the second house, members only managed to retrieve cat and dagga worth about R45 000. No arrests were made. Both suspects will also appear today at the same court for dealing in drugs. Further charges cannot be ruled out.