Two women have been arrested for allegedly dealing drugs in the Free State.

The Bloemfontein Provincial Anti-Gang Unit apprehended the pair at a property in Ashbury.

South African Police Service (SAPS) Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said that the Bloemfontein Provincial AGU conducted a search at Ashbury in the Heidedal region after receiving intelligence-led information and conducting investigations into suspected unlawful activities at the residence.

"On 25 January 2025, the team executed a search warrant and found two women inside the house," Kareli said.

During the search of the house, drugs such as mandrax, cocaine, and crystal meth were discovered stashed within a sofa.

The narcotics are worth an estimated R100,000. Additionally, an undisclosed quantity of cash was discovered by the authorities. The two suspects, aged 29 and 24, were detained for drug dealing and are scheduled to appear in Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court soon.

In a similar case, Zamokuhle Buthelezi was sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for dealing drugs. Five years of his sentence was wholly suspended by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court in 2023.

The Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, located in Pietermaritzburg, detained Buthelezi in May 2018.

Members obtained information about the drug dealer and went to a residence to perform a search. The members discovered heroin straws, mandrax pills, and dagga, with a street worth of around R250,660.

"Buthelezi was placed under arrest and he appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court. His bail application was successfully opposed, and he was remanded in custody until he was convicted and sentenced," said KwaZulu-Natal Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo.

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Free State drug bust: Two women arrested with R100,000 worth of narcotics