finance
South African Revenue Service Seizes 90 Bricks of Cocaine at Durban Port
Officials intercepted a shipment hidden inside imported excavation equipment during a customs inspection. The material was handed to police for further testing and investigation.
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South African Revenue Service officers found approximately 90 bricks of cocaine inside two excavators at the Port of Durban on Saturday. The equipment had been imported from South America. Detector dogs flagged suspicious parcels concealed within the machinery, and preliminary tests using a mobile detection kit indicated the substance was cocaine.
Police secured the scene after the alert.
The parcels were removed and the material was seized for forensic analysis and criminal investigation. The operation formed part of ongoing efforts to target high-risk shipments through intelligence-led inspections.
Officials said investments in cargo profiling systems, non-intrusive inspection tools, and data-driven risk assessment enabled the detection without delaying compliant trade. The revenue service stated it will continue enforcement through enhanced profiling, technology-enabled checks, and cooperation with other agencies.
Last month, authorities intercepted a separate consignment valued at nearly R1 billion at the Beitbridge Port of Entry. In May, police arrested 11 suspects after discovering a drug manufacturing laboratory in North West province.
