Cape Town, South Africa — A 25-year-old man, Joseph Hughes, has been sentenced in the Khayelitsha Priority Court for possession of cannabis-related substances, following a major drug bust in 2022.
Hughes entered a plea agreement with the State under the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act, after his arrest on December 2, 2022, at his property in Constantia.
According to Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the arrest followed a joint search and seizure operation led by the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau, Crime Intelligence Counter Narcotics and Gangs, K9 Unit, and the Flying Squad.
Authorities acted on a tip-off about a cannabis hydroponic laboratory operating inside the home. Upon entering the premises, investigators found seven rooms dedicated to cannabis cultivation.
The seizure included:
754 dagga (cannabis) trees
6 bags of dagga heads
6 kg of dagga heads
10 kg of dried dagga stems with heads
315 rounds of ammunition
The total value of the confiscated cannabis was estimated at over R1.5 million.
Hughes had been out on R50,000 bail since his arrest. Upon pleading guilty, the court sentenced him to five years imprisonment or a fine of R200,000, both wholly suspended for five years, provided he does not re-offend.
Additionally, a confiscation order was granted for R100,000, determined as the proceeds of unlawful activity. The amount was paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (CARA).
This case marks another success in the Hawks’ continued efforts to dismantle drug operations and uphold justice in the Western Cape.
