JMPD Busts R22 Million Smuggling Hub in Houghton

The Johannesburg Metro Police have dismantled a major drug smuggling operation after raiding a hijacked building in Houghton, Johannesburg. Officers arrested eight suspects and seized codeine-based cough syrup worth about R20 million along with over R2 million in marijuana. The property had allegedly been converted into a packaging and distribution centre.

Investigators believe the drugs were destined for Bulawayo, Zimbabwe using cross-border buses and informal couriers. City officials say syndicates are increasingly using hijacked buildings for large-scale trafficking, and further raids are planned as part of an intensified crackdown on illegal drug networks in Johannesburg.