Johannesburg – A police constable and an SA Revenue Service (Sars) employee were arrested for allegedly stealing drugs at the Lebombo border post on Wednesday, Mpumalanga police said.

“The policeman searched a taxi from Mozambique while its driver went to stamp his passport, and found a washing powder, plastic [container] stacked with cocaine estimated at [a street value of] more than R3m,” said police spokesperson Leonard Hlathi.

The officer allegedly called an off-duty Sars employee who took the drugs to his home.

A police operation was already underway in response to a tip-off about the taxi entering the country, and this led to the policeman’s arrest.

“After the constable’s arrest, he took us to the other suspect’s home where he freely handed the drugs over and was arrested.”

The police later arrested the taxi driver.

They would all appear in the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

– SAPA