More cocaine seized at Port of Durban in just days

The South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the Hawks seized 30 bricks of cocaine at the Port of Durban on Tuesday, after intelligence-led risk profiling identified a container for inspection. The discovery follows an earlier seizure at the same port, when police uncovered 90kg of cocaine hidden in trucks arriving from Brazil.

How the 30-brick shipment was found

Durban Customs officers boarded a container vessel that originated from South America and located the targeted container, which was positioned below the waterline. During the inspection, customs identified signs that parts of the container apparatus had been tampered with, prompting a more intrusive search.

A mobile testing kit subsequently confirmed the substance to be 30 bricks of pure cocaine, the South African Police Service (Saps) said.

Earlier discovery: 90kg hidden in trucks and excavators

On Saturday, 6 June, police found 90kg of cocaine worth R36 million concealed in trucks arriving from Brazil at the Port of Durban. In that operation, customs officials alerted teams to suspected cocaine concealed within an excavator that had arrived at the Q and R Car Terminal aboard the vessel Neptune Ace Tokyo from Santos, Brazil.

Inspection of the excavator revealed suspicious packages inside a panel leading to the engine compartment. Officials seized 47 blocks containing a powdered substance suspected to be cocaine. While that scene was being processed, a second concealment was found on another excavator that had already been offloaded from the vessel, and a further 43 blocks were seized.

Coordinated enforcement and past concerns

According to Sars Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu and Acting National Head of the Hawks Lieutenant General Sphesihle Nkosi, these discoveries underline the value of coordinated enforcement efforts across government agencies. The officials said the operations demonstrate agencies working together to strengthen their response to organised crime attempting to move narcotics through South Africa’s trade gateways.

Theft of seized drugs under scrutiny

The recent busts come as the Madlanga commission investigates previous incidents in which drugs went missing while under police custody. The commission has been examining a November 2021 break-in at Serious Organised Crime offices in Port Shepstone, where 541kg of cocainevalued at R200 million on the streetwas reported stolen after suspects forced entry and tampered with a safe.

Separately, 715.86kg of cocaine intercepted on 9 July 2021 and later transferred to the Saps forensic science laboratory was the subject of inquiries after portions allegedly went missing while stored under police control. That consignment was initially reported as part of a shipment allegedly trafficked from Brazil.

What happens next: Law enforcement agencies continue investigations and coordinated inspections at trade gateways to detect and seize concealed narcotics.