Cocaine
SAPS disclosed on Sunday that the officers tracked a certain container to the Dube Trade Port, which had 228 blocks of cocaine concealed in meat boxes. It said that the incident took place Friday and that it was the "second drug bust" in the last two days. AFP

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli praised law enforcement officers for seizing pure cocaine worth R80 million.

The cocaine was hidden inside a shipping container at the Durban Harbor. Police had received a tip-off about a ship that left Brazil in early November, carrying cocaine disguised as kidney beans.

"We commend the excellent work being done by members of various law enforcement agencies to ensure that we close ranks. We are sending a strong message to all criminal syndicates that we are on high alert, we have adopted a zero-tolerance stance against all criminal activity," Ntuli said, SA News reported.

The ship, which passed through another country before reaching South Africa, was tracked until it arrived at Durban Harbour on Nov. 30. The container was moved to a warehouse on South Coast Road in the Bluff area for a thorough search.

During the search, police found eight bags of crushed pure cocaine. The paperwork showed that the shipment was meant for Johannesburg. Ntuli said that more police monitoring in high-crime areas is yielding positive results, as intelligence operations continue to stop crime across the province.

Ntuli also praised the Border Management Authority (BMA) for their round-the-clock efforts to improve security at all ports and borders in the province.

He mentioned that the provincial government, along with law enforcement agencies in the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster, has created a plan to prevent crime during the festive season.

The Premier said the aim is to keep the province a top choice for holidaymakers and tourists, create a safe environment for businesses to grow, and boost investor confidence. He reassured the people of KwaZulu-Natal that intelligence-driven operations will continue throughout the festive season and beyond.

The provincial government requested more police officers to be deployed during this period, especially in high-crime areas like Durban Harbour. They are focused on tackling all forms of crime in the province.

Ntuli urged community members to keep providing important information to help law enforcement combat crime in the area.

Earlier this week, BMA revealed a plan for the festive season, from December 2024 to January 2025, to handle the higher volume of border activities and avoid illegal immigration, cross-border crimes and the smuggling of illegal goods in South Africa.

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