FOREIGN NATIONAL CAUGHT WITH PROTECTED INDIGENOUS PLANTS WORTH MILLIONS

A 45 year old Zimbabwean national was arrested by the Provincial Traffic officers on Monday, May 12, 2025. The officers were on duty conducting a routine stop-and-check operation on N14 near the Ventersdorp Weighbridge.

A sedan with a Gauteng registration was carrying two people when it was stopped for a routine check.

Officers became suspicious when the driver claimed he did not have the keys when asked to open the boot of the car. Calling for a backup, officers managed to force the driver to open the boot and indigenous plants worth about ten million Rand were discovered.

The police were immediately contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the Ventersdorp Police Station for further investigation.

The Police confirmed that the plants found in the boot, known as Euphorbia (also called Bruansee) were indigenous wild plants found mainly in the Northern Cape Province and cannot be transported without a special permit.

The driver was taken into police custody.

The MEC for the North West Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng applauded the law enforcement officers for being vigilant and acting promptly to stop the illicit trade of protected indigenous plants.

“The collaborative effort by our traffic officers as well as police to respond to the suspicious transportation of indigenous plants is a reflection of the dedication to eradicate crime and deal decisively with all forms of criminality. We applaud them for always being on high alert.

“We continue to send a strong message to criminals that we will not be tolerant for any deviancy and implore on communities to work with law enforcement”, said MEC Morweng.

Samples of the plants will be sent to a specialized testing laboratory in Cape Town for further testing as part of the investigation.

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