COURT ALLOWS SCORPIONS TO CONFISCATE DRUG FARM

Pretoria, South Africa

The Scorpions have been given permission to confiscate a farm in
Mpumalanga where the drug tik-tik, or ice, was manufactured, the
National Prosecution Authority said on Friday.

Spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi said the Pretoria High Court gave the
order on Thursday. The farm had already been placed under curatorship
in terms of an order of the Pretoria High Court in December last
year, he said.

A raid on the farm, outside Machadodorp, in 2004 netted enough
ingredients to produce tik-tik worth an estimated R11,3-million on
the street and 270g of the finished product with an estimated street
value of R67 500.

Harold Mamba, the Swazi citizen who owned the farm, is on trial for
alleged drug trafficking.

"A certain Peiyang Xhiong and a certain Wing Sun Chun were also
linked to the charges of contravening the Drugs Act and warrants for
their arrests were issued," said Nkosi. "Peiyang apparently left the
country, while Wing's whereabouts were unknown."

The day after the raid, police searched Mamba's car in his presence
and found a police profile of Wing.

"The presence of this profile suggested that Mamba had access to
police files and information and may also explain why the farm was
deserted when the police came to search it."