By JN Reporter
The ANC in the Thabo Mofutsanyana region has retained its entire Top 5 leadership unopposed, delivering a clean sweep that signals a show of unity at a closely watched regional conference.
The uncontested outcome follows a tense build-up marked by disputes over branch audits and del...
A suspected drug dealer was arrested after initially evading police when an unruly crowd disrupted an intelligence-driven operation in the Hillcrest and De Vries streets area in Ashbury, within the Heidedal policing precinct.
Police said officers were forced to temporarily withdraw after community members threw stones and set dogs on police during the operation. The suspect managed to flee the scene amid the chaos but was later traced and arrested.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Thabo Covane said members from the Bloemfontein Public Order Police Unit’s Information Team had planned the operation after receiving intelligence. The suspect was observed on the corner of Hillcrest and De Vries streets, where officers attempted to arrest him over the weekend.
“During the operation, a potential buyer approached the house and called out from the gate: ‘Gee tien daar, Rieckie.’ Police reacted to the signal, disrupted the transaction and identified themselves to the suspect. The suspect became violent and assaulted one of the constables with an open hand,” said Covane.
He added that police searched the suspect and found 152 Mandrax tablets in his possession.
Covane said community members living around the house then gathered, throwing stones and setting dogs on police officers.
“The members were outnumbered and the principle of situational appropriateness was applied. The suspect, known to police as ‘Rickie’, was freed from arrest by the unruly community members,” he said.
A case docket of assault on a police officer and possession of drugs was opened at Heidedal Police Station. Covane confirmed that the suspect was later traced and arrested and will face the full might of the law.
The Mandrax tablets, weighing 248 grams and estimated to have a street value of R4 600, were confiscated and booked into the Evidence Management System at the police station.
