Top cop makes big drug bust
2007-04-11 10:12
Danél Blaauw
Johannesburg - Master detective superintendent Piet Byleveld and his team have uncovered a drug factory in Northcliff, a posh suburb of Johannesburg, next door to the house where an 18-year-old woman was murdered a few days earlier.
A possible link between this breakthrough and recent arrests in Sunninghill in the northern parts of Johannesburg, and Waterkloof in Pretoria, was being investigated.
Fourteen alleged drug dealers who might be linked to national drug syndicates in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town, appeared in various Gauteng courts on Tuesday.
An investigation over months on Sunday night culminated in a raid at the alleged drug factory at a house in Musili's Lane in Northcliff.
This house is situated behind the house where Natasha Snyman, 18, was shot dead last week. A domestic worker found Snyman's body with a bullet wound to the head in her parents' bedroom.
Many arrests
Seven suspects were arrested in the alleged drug house on Sunday.
Police spokesperson superintendent Eugene Opperman said the police confiscated drugs, chemicals, tubes and other equipment associated with the manufacture of drugs. The haul was worth about R500 000.
The seven suspects appeared briefly in the Johannesburg magistrate's court on Tuesday.
They are Paul Goodwin, 32, Lourens van Wyk, 25, David Nitzan, 37, Johannes Alant, 27, all from Cape Town, and Regaardt Strauss, 37, Nicholaas Anamoirlis, 25, and Tracy Muller, 37, all from Johannesburg.
Their bail application was postponed until next week. They are charged with the possession of, trading in and manufacturing of drugs.
Five other alleged drug dealers were granted bail in the Randburg district court on Tuesday.
Byleveld's special investigating team arrested these three men and two women on March 22 at a house in Sunninghill.
A link between the Sunninghill and Northcliff cases was being investigated.
Tik and cat as well as R20 840 in cash were confiscated at the Sunninghill house.
Paulo Costa da Silva, 28, and Riaan Carelse, 27, were granted bail of respectively R20 000 and R10 000.
Bianca Gesualde, 25, and Gabriella Grassi, 31, as well as Rainier van der Vyver, 23, a stripper, were granted R20 000 bail each, but they remain in custody.
There are still related charges pending against them after drugs were found on them in the holding cells shortly after their arrest.
They will appear on these new charges in the Johannesburg district court on Thursday. The drug case against them appeared on Wednesday's court role.
Two men from Pretoria, who were also arrested by Byleveld's team, appeared in the Randburg magistrate's court on Tuesday. This case was also linked to the Sunninghill and Northcliff cases.
Jason Demegeze, 28, and Paul Kitzman, 33, were arrested on two consecutive days at the same address in Waterkloof.
They face charges of attempted murder, assault with the intent to do serious bodily harm and the possession of prescription medicine (addendum four and five).
Byleveld, a seasoned murder and robbery detective, on Tuesday indicated that he was involved in the investigation of "certain aspects".
- Beeld