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Speedy hearse stops dagga run
12/02/2006 23:04 - (SA)
Norman Silke , Die Burger
Maluti - Police probably made history on Sunday when they used a hearse to chase drug dealers and seize dagga with a street value of about R650 000.
According to captain Freek Visser, police at Cedarville were tipped off about 06:30 about a white Colt bakkie that was travelling around the district at high speed.
Officials from Cedarville police station apparently tried to set up a roadblock in town, but when they tried to stop the bakkie, the driver raced past them.
Two police officials followed the bakkie, but the driver still refused to pull over, said Visser.
"They then tried to use their own vehicle to force the driver to pull over.
In a bid to shake off the police, the bakkie driver swung on to a gravel road in the Myeniana district near Maluti.
"At that stage, one of the police fired at the bakkie and hit two of the tyres."
Cop van rolled on bend
To add to the drama, the police driver lost control of their vehicle on a sharp bend.
The vehicle overturned and rolled, but the police were unharmed.
"They knew the bakkie wouldn't get very far with two flat tyres, and were determined to follow the suspects," said Visser.
Then, in the middle of nowhere, the long arm of the law received help of an unusual kind.
An undertaker in a hearse appeared; the police commandeered the vehicle and soon spotted their suspects.
Visser said: "They were just in time to see three men get out of the bakkie and disappear into the bush."
No body in the hearse
They chased the suspects, but managed to arrest only one of them.
The police found 500kg of dagga with a street value of about R650 000 in the bakkie.
Two suspects are still at large and police are investigating a charge of trading in illegal drugs.
Visser said there was no body in the hearse at the time of the chase.
- Die Burger
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