COPS BUST ‘SOPHISTICATED’ DAGGA FARM

MANZINI – While calls are being made for the legalisation of dagga for medicinal and pharmaceutical use, police officers raided and destroyed plants of the illegal herb in a farm around Mafutseni.

The premises seemed to have all the necessary farming equipment as irrigation pipes, water tanks and other things were found at the farm.
Also uncovered by the Royal Eswatini Police Service yesterday was a borehole near  the place where the dagga was planted.
The dagga destroyed is estimated to be around E200 000, though police are yet to determine the actual value.

What took the officers aback was the various amenities found at the farm, which suggested that this was a proper enterprise.
After receiving a tip-off about the dagga field, the Mafutseni police led by the newly-appointed Desk Officer, Mduduzi Mavuso, headed to the farm and raided the place, which is about one hectare.

The officers destroyed all the dagga plants, pipes and seedlings which were found on the farm.
The place had an irrigation system, with pumps and hosepipes. There were also fertiliser bags and seedlings nearby, which proved that the place also had ‘employees’ who watered and took care of the dagga plants before being harvested and further sold to potential buyers.

Officers were heard conversing that it was a good idea to destroy these plants before they could be harvested and enter the illicit drug market that has become a huge business for many emaswati.
Just before reaching the fields, which are hidden in thick forests, there was a borehole, solar energy system and three water tanks, and water pipes installed, leading to the fields nearby.

The team of officers walked for some time before stumbling upon the thousands of recently planted dagga plants.
All the dagga plants together with some of the pipes were destroyed by the police officers. The pipes were cut into pieces with bush knives by the armed officers, and also burnt together with the piles of dagga plants.

Officers revealed that there were no arrests made yet.
They also stated that they had no idea who owned the farm or land and for how long they had their eyes on the operation or project.
Police officers said they were yet to ascertain who owned the farm and if he/she was involved in the dagga project.

“It is clear that the project was properly planned and executed before the dagga was grown at the place. This is evident with the pipes, irrigation system, water tanks and the solar power system. There are so many pipes leading to the fields and some of them are hidden underground,” one of the police officers said yesterday.

Worth noting is that before getting to where the dagga is grown, there are about four gates, with signs, written ‘Please Close Gates Cattle Around’.
In May this year, the Mliba police, comprising the Station Commander Assistant Superintendent Samkeliso Msweli, his deputy Inspector Khanyakwezwe Mhlanga and other officers, conducted a massive dagga raid operation which had been targeted within the Nyonyane and Maguga areas.

A truckload of dagga was seized and six people were arrested after being found in possession of 12 bags of dagga, which are currently kept at the Mafutseni police station as exhibits for the case.

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba confirmed that the police destroyed dagga which was being grown in a farm situated in Mafutseni.

However, he confirmed that no arrests had been made as yet.
“The police are still investigating the matter and looking for the suspects behind the offences,” Superintendent Mamba said.
The Kingdom of Eswatini is known for having what has been labelled at A Grade dagga, which is in high demand.
Calls for the legalisation of dagga in the kingdom for pharmaceutical uses, have not been successful as yet, though many African countries had legalised the restricted use of the herb.

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