Sunday, July 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Central Karoo Caught A Buzz: SAPS Nabs R290k In Khat

Officers stopped a bus and uncovered nearly R300k worth of illegal khat hidden in boxes like a botanical jackpot gone rogue.

[Image: Flickr]

Turns out the only thing “high speed” about this bus was what it was carrying. A sharp-eyed SAPS Flying Squad team made a hefty dent in the drug trade this week with a major bust near Prince Albert Road.

On Tuesday, 17 June 2025, the squad ran a vehicle checkpoint (VCP) that turned out to be far more fruitful than a routine roadblock, reported Cape {town} Etc.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spie said officers stopped and searched a passenger bus, and struck botanical gold: 13 boxes stuffed with khat.

Image: SAPS

Never heard of it? Khat is a leafy stimulant chewed for a high—think Red Bull on steroids with a side of cardiac risk. Native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, it contains cathinone, a chemical cousin of amphetamines. While it may give users a brief jolt of euphoria and alertness, prolonged use is no joyride as it’s linked to heart issues and mental health problems.

And here’s the kicker: it’s illegal in South Africa. But that hasn’t stopped traffickers from trying to slip it into the Western Cape, one bundle at a time.

Image: SAPS

This particular payload—2,940 bundles of the stuff, worth around R290,000—was traced back to a 47-year-old passenger on the bus, who was promptly arrested. He’s now sitting in police custody, waiting to hear his fate in court, where he’ll likely be facing charges of drug dealing.

Western Cape police management tipped their hats to the Flying Squad, commending their continued work in putting the brakes on the province’s drug trafficking pipelines.

Because in the Karoo, the only thing that should be high is the temperature.

[Source: Cape {town} Etc]