Police in Durban have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against international drug syndicates with the discovery of an R80 million cocaine haul. The seizure took place at a warehouse at the Dube Trade Port within the King Shaka International Airport.
According to National Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, officers had been monitoring various containers that arrived in the country from Brazil via the Durban Harbour.
On Friday afternoon, they tracked a specific container to the Dube Trade Port, where they found 228 blocks of cocaine concealed in meat boxes.
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This is the second major drug bust in the last two days, following the seizure of R70 million worth of cocaine from a container at the Durban Harbour. Mathe stated that a case of drug trafficking is currently under investigation.
Authorities are now working to determine the final destination of these drugs, as well as the individuals involved in the smuggling operation.
National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, praised the police team for their efforts in disrupting transnational crimes related to drug trafficking.
“The SAPS is committed to combating transnational organized crime, which poses a significant threat to the communities we serve,” said General Masemola. “We will continue to intensify our efforts to detect and dismantle drug trafficking networks.
As we enter the festive season, we are warning those involved in such activities to either surrender or face the consequences.”
General Masemola also highlighted the SAPS’s collaboration with international law enforcement agencies in tackling these illicit activities. The case will be handed over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) for further investigation.
