Experts warn organised crime may be shifting to local drug production as airport seizures climb

Security experts are warning that South Africa’s drug problem may be moving beyond couriers to organised networks and local production, as repeated seizures at OR Tambo International Airport highlight gaps in enforcement and intelligence-sharing, according to IOL.

Seizures at OR Tambo underline scale

According to IOL, intelligence-led operations by the South African Police Service (SAPS), SARS Customs, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and other agencies have resulted in a series of significant interceptions at OR Tambo this year. Based on publicly announced SAPS and SARS operations from January 1 to September 8, authorities had seized at least 563kg of narcotics at OR Tambo, with an estimated value exceeding R236.8 million, IOL reported.

Recent incidents highlighted by IOL include a September 7 arrest at OR Tambo when police seized about 2kg of cocaine from a man allegedly travelling to Hong Kong, and an August 25 interception of more than 333kg of cocaine arriving from São Paulo, Brazil. SARS placed a value on that seizure at more than R167 million, while SAPS gave a combined street value of more than R200 million.

Experts point to enforcement and intelligence gaps

Experts cited by IOL told the publication that poor enforcement, fragmented intelligence and border-control weaknesses are allowing international trafficking syndicates to exploit South Africa. UNISA criminologist Professor Mpho Matlala said the country’s air, sea and land routes and limited inspection capacity at ports were major vulnerabilities.

“These are hardly policed as there is not sufficient law enforcement capacity. The containers arrive by sea at the Durban or Cape Town harbours. In most instances, these are not properly inspected due to a lack of capacity and technologies such as scanners. There’s probably one scanner for containers in the whole country.”

Retired Interpol ambassador Andy Mashaile told IOL that the real weakness was the information gap between multiple agencies and that criminal networks were exploiting air, sea and land routes. He warned that the discovery of clandestine laboratories may indicate a shift toward local production and called for investigations to treat major seizures as gateways into wider networks.

“Every major drug seizure should be treated as an intelligence gateway into the wider criminal network, rather than the conclusion of the investigation.”

Agencies respond cautiously

IOL reported that SARS Customs said it works with law enforcement and border-management partners to detect and prevent the cross-border movement of illicit goods, and that it uses initiatives aimed at protecting borders, facilitating legitimate trade and combating illicit economic activity.

SARS declined to disclose details about its intelligence on criminal networks, saying it does not reveal risk assessment methods, intelligence capabilities, enforcement strategies, or information relating to ongoing investigations and suspected networks. SARS told IOL it remains committed to intelligence-led interventions, modernisation and coordinated enforcement, and that it communicates significant seizures and enforcement outcomes through its media channels where operationally appropriate.

Airport vulnerability and wider response

IOL also reported that Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia told Parliament the three major airports OR Tambo, King Shaka and Cape Town International collectively recorded 117 narcotics-smuggling cases between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years. Cachalia said some precise facility classifications are part of security and intelligence assessments and are not publicly disclosed, and outlined interventions including integrated multi-agency operations and intelligence-led profiling.

What experts say needs to change

Experts quoted by IOL urged a shift from arresting individual couriers to disrupting networks: improving intelligence integration across customs, border management, immigration, crime intelligence, specialised police units, financial-intelligence structures and the National Prosecuting Authority; and treating seizures as starting points for wider investigations into people, money, logistics and manufacturing capacity that sustain the drug economy.

According to IOL, the pattern of seizures and expert warnings suggests law-enforcement responses now need to focus on network-level disruption as well as frontline interdictions.