Six suspected drug dealers believed to be operating in the Port Elizabeth area were arrested during a joint sting operation by police on Wednesday morning.
During the raid at one of the six houses in Walmer and Central, police found more than R450 000 worth of cocaine and tik .
The operation was part of a year-long probe by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Unit and Crime Intelligence division targeting drug posts in Walmer and Central.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said that the six men had an accumulative 13 cases against them for various crimes such as dealing and trafficking in drugs.
“The men were arrested during a series of pre-organised raids on six houses and flats in Central and Walmer. These drug posts have been under surveillance for some time and allowed our team to build a strong case against them,” she said.
"At one of the suspect’s houses in Walmer, police confiscated tik and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of over R450 000. A further 12 rounds of .22 ammunition and two passports were confiscated."
Lieutenant-General Liziwe Ntshinga said that there was even a greater need to shut down the drug manufacturers.
"The confiscation of these drugs and the arrests is certain to have an adverse effect on their trade in Port Elizabeth as well as in the Province. These operations are not the first and are certainly is not the last to be held and such operations will be timed and strategically executed. There is no place in our Province for drug havens." She said.
Naidu said that the six men – all foreign nationals aged between 29 and 46 years – were arrested for between 2 and 3 cases each, totalling 13 cases.
The men are due to appear in the Port Elizabeth magistrates’ court on Friday.