Three men arrested for allegedly dealing illegally in controlled medication appeared in two separate courts in Nelson Mandela Bay last week after being nabbed by the Hawks and other law enforcement agencies, reports The Herald.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana described the arrests as a breakthrough in the fight against the unlawful proliferation of scheduled pharmaceutical substances, drugs and cannabis, and said a probe into the case had started in September 2025.
Two of the men appeared in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court, where their case was postponed to 27 August for a potential bail application, while the third was granted bail of R1 000 during his appearance in the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court.
His matter has been postponed to 12 November for further investigation.
All three face charges relating to dealing in scheduled pharmaceutical substances, drugs and cannabis.
Mhlakuvana said the searches had resulted in the seizure of “a substantial quantity of scheduled medication and suspected cannabis, as well as items believed to be of investigative value”.
The haul recovered in the first arrest included 5 000 Purata tablets, 500g of cannabis, an undisclosed amount of cash, three scales and phones.
He said the operation was then extended to a home in Kariega, where the third man, suspected of being the leader of the syndicate, was nabbed, along with a bottle of Purata tablets, a bottle of Mylan Alprazolam 1mg, a bottle of Mylan Alprazolam 0.5mg, 44 Stilpane tablets and a phone.
All three were formally charged with contravention of the Medicines and Related Substances Act, including the unlawful possession and dealing in scheduled substances, as well as charges relating to dealing in cannabis.
The investigation was continuing, and further arrests and additional charges could not be ruled out.
Purata is used in to treat anxiety disorders, including anxiety associated with depression, and is also prescribed to relieve symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal. Alprazolam, used for short-term symptomatic relief of excessive anxiety, may be habit-forming when taken for long periods.
The Herald article – Three caught in Bay pharmaceutical drug bust (Restricted access)
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