A 37-year-old man has been arrested in the Free State town of Winburg after police uncovered a stash of illegal veterinary medicines and high-caliber ammunition during a targeted raid.
Acting on a search warrant, officers from the Welkom K9 Unit, Bultfontein Stock Theft Unit, and the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) swooped on a property in Winburg on Tuesday, 12 August 2025. What they found was both unexpected and alarming.
Inside the residence, officers allegedly discovered schedule 4 and schedule 6 veterinary medicines valued at around R20,000. Among the haul were three sealed boxes of potent sedatives—M99 and M5050—along with an open vial of M99 and two other scheduled medications. The suspect was unable to provide any legal documentation for the substances.
But the search didn’t end there. Hidden inside a cupboard, police say they found 420 rounds of ammunition, including 392 × 5.56mm and 35 × 6.5mm rounds—ammunition typically used in high-powered rifles. The estimated value of the ammo cache is R105,000.
All items were seized on the spot, and the suspect was arrested for contravening both the Medicines and Related Substances Act and the Firearms Control Regulations Act.
Lejweleputswa District Police spokesperson Sergeant Palesa Thabana confirmed that the man is due to appear in the Winburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 13 August 2025. Investigations into the origin and intended use of the confiscated items are ongoing.
