Three arrested selling drugs to police in Operation Diamond

Three people are expected to appear in the Zastron Magistrate’s Court after being arrested during an anti-drug operation in the Free State.

Who was arrested and when

The suspects are two men, aged 42 and 60, and a woman aged 42. They were arrested on Wednesday, August 26, during Operation Diamond, conducted by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks).

How the arrests were carried out

The arrests followed work by a multidisciplinary team that included the Hawks, the Tactical Response Team (TRT), and Crime Intelligence (CI). Members of Crime Intelligence had identified the suspects in 2025 after learning about the proliferation of crystal meth and mandrax in Zastron.

According to the Hawks’ provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli, multiple mock transactions were conducted where the suspects sold drugs.

Charges and investigation

The three face charges of dealing in drugs and are expected to appear in court on Thursday. The head of the Hawks in the Free State, Major-General Mokgadi Bokaba, linked the supply of drugs to other criminal activity.

“Cutting the supply of drugs to the town of Matlakeng will help deal with related crimes,” Bokaba said.

Bokaba also commended the collaborative work with the Crime Intelligence division.