Boksburg Prison Inmate Appears in Court After Crystal Meth Worth R12,000 and Three Cellphones Found
A 41-year-old inmate, Joshua Belden Swarts, has appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court after Hawks investigators allegedly found crystal methamphetamine worth R12,000 and three cellphones linked to him at Boksburg Correctional Centre.
Swarts was arrested by members of the Hawks’ Northern Cape Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit during an intelligence-driven operation under Project Ditto.
Project Ditto is an ongoing investigation launched in 2023 to dismantle identified drug networks operating in Kimberley and parts of Gauteng.
During a search of Swarts’ cell, investigators recovered two cellphones hidden under his pillow. A further search of his locker uncovered crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as Tik, with an estimated street value of R12,000.
The Department of Correctional Services had conducted an internal search a week earlier, during which another cellphone was allegedly found in Swarts’ possession, bringing the total number of cellphones linked to him to three.
He is also facing an additional charge of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. According to police, a vehicle allegedly found in his possession before his incarceration was identified as stolen during a Project Ditto takedown operation.
Swarts made a brief appearance in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court, where the matter was postponed to 26 January 2027 for further investigation.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe confirmed the operation and the charges.