CRACK FACTORY IN RESIDENTIAL AREA

Crime bosses and drug lords are increasingly moving their centres of
operation - including drug factories - into Durban's suburbs.

This week detectives from Operation West raided a different type of "home
industry", a fully equipped crack cocaine factory in Sunningdale, Umhlanga,
in the latest breakthrough in their clamp-down on the city's narcotics
underworld.

Operation West, a joint project between the Durban Organised Crime Unit and
Durban Metro Police, is aimed at cracking down on West African crime
syndicates in the city.

Police received information that a suspected Nigerian drug lord, married to
a South African woman, was operating a factory out of his home in
Round-The-Green.

Early yesterday police stormed the 43-year-old man's home and seized R100
000 worth of crack cocaine, cocaine powder and blocks as well as 20
capsules containing an unidentified drug.

Detectives also seized utensils and other equipment used in the "cooking"
of crack cocaine.

Police confiscated luxury vehicles believed to have been used to transport
drugs and narcotics manufacturing equipment.

Police spokesman Michael Read said the man was a well-known "kingpin" for
whom police had been searching for some time.

"The man, who is in police custody, will appear in court later this week,"
he said.

Read said the man had been charged with dealing in and possession of
illegal narcotics.

Operation West's commander, Supt Willie Louw, said information given to
police was that the man's home had been used to manufacture cocaine and
crack cocaine.

The raiding party recovered 133g of cocaine powder, 45 blocks of crack
cocaine, 80g of crack cocaine and 20 capsules containing an unidentified drug.

Louw said they believed the drugs were destined for the city's night-clubs
and streets.

"The tablets, which have been sent for analysis, are believed to contain a
potent mixture of cocaine powder and ephedrine," he said.

Ephedrine was developed to treat asthma and is a performance enhancer.

Louw said the combination of the two drugs was extremely powerful and would
give the user a potent "buzz".

Police were trying to establish how long the house had allegedly been used
as a crack factory.

"We have noticed an alarming trend in the number of drug lords moving their
operations into the city's surrounding suburbs.

"The reason for this is the intense pressure from police raids on
inner-city drug dens.

"Drug dealers and those behind them are now trying to save their operations
by moving them into the comparative secrecy of the leafy, up-market
residential suburbs," he said.

Louw said police were investigating whether the Nigerian man had married
his South African wife to gain South African citizenship.

He said the asset forfeiture unit was also investigating the man and would
possibly be seizing his property, including his luxury BMW and other
expensive household possessions.

"This is one of the biggest narcotics manufacturing plants we have shut
down this year.

"The closing of this factory will send out a strong message to drug lords
that no matter where they go they will be hunted down and caught," he said.