[imagesource: SAPS]

Early on Sunday morning, a truck carrying an estimated R30 million worth of cocaine was intercepted en route to Cape Town.

The bust was made at a petrol station on the N1, and a 36-year-old man was arrested.

The Hawks made the arrest, but the extent of their efforts, and the honesty of the truck driver unwittingly caught up in the transportation of the cocaine, have both emerged in the Kuilsriver Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Mario Williams is said to have contacted the driver via WhatsApp, offering him R5 000 to leave his truck unattended at the designated petrol station.

TimesLIVE with the details on how things played out from there:

The driver then notified the owner of the company he worked for, who informed the Eastern Cape Hawks about the situation.

The Hawks co-ordinated with their colleagues in the Western Cape and explained to them that the refrigerated shipping container which arrived at Port Elizabeth harbour, and which was heading to Cape Town, may contain drugs.

The driver, his boss, and the importer met the Hawks officers in Swellendam, a rural town between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town on the N2 highway.

From there, the officers searched the container and found the cocaine, and a sting operation was set in motion.

One Hawks officer travelled in the truck with the driver, whilst other Hawks members trailed behind in their own vehicles.

The truck was then parked at the petrol station Williams requested, and he arrived to collect the drugs at around 3AM:

According to the state, he then opened his door, got out and retrieved a silver step ladder from the back of his car and started climbing up to open the panels where he was expecting to find the precious stash.

Image: SAPS

Hawks officers then swooped in and arrested him on drug trafficking charges.

Williams, who lives in Delft with his wife and two children, was placed under house arrest until his next court appearance, scheduled for August 20.

Under our national lockdown, South Africa’s law enforcement officials haven’t always covered themselves in glory, but this sting operation is a reminder of the good work they do, which often goes unheralded.

[source:timeslive]