South African law enforcement agencies have made two significant drug seizures over the weekend, intercepting cocaine worth more than R200 million at OR Tambo International Airport and uncovering suspected drugs valued at over R9.7 million in Gqeberha.
The operations involved coordinated action by law enforcement officers and resulted in the arrest of a suspect in the Eastern Cape. Police say the airport seizure forms part of ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking through South Africa’s busiest international airport.
About 250kg of cocaine intercepted at OR Tambo
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola praised a multidisciplinary team comprising the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Revenue Service (SARS), Customs and the Border Management Authority for the airport operation.
The team intercepted five luggage bags containing 216 blocks of cocaine, with a combined weight of approximately 250kg. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than R200 million.
Masemola said the seizure demonstrated the value of coordinated law enforcement efforts and the commitment of officers working at the country’s ports of entry.
He noted that drug trafficking networks seek to use South Africa’s entry points to move illegal substances. Cooperation between the agencies responsible for policing, customs and border management is therefore an important part of efforts to disrupt these operations.
The latest seizure comes amid continued action against drug trafficking at OR Tambo International Airport. According to Masemola, 116 drug mules have been arrested at the airport over the past 24 months.
The figure highlights the ongoing focus on identifying and intercepting people suspected of transporting drugs through the airport. However, the information released about the latest operation does not establish where the cocaine was manufactured or where it was ultimately intended to go.
Police portfolio committee chair Ian Cameron said the cocaine had arrived on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil. He cautioned that the flight’s departure point should not be confused with the drugs’ place of production or their final destination.
Gqeberha raid leads to arrest of 38-year-old suspect
A separate operation in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, resulted in the discovery of substances suspected to be mandrax, cocaine and tik. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than R9.7 million.
Provincial police officer Mapula Rikhotso said an Operation Ukubuza team acted on intelligence and executed a search warrant in Rowallan Park on Saturday.
Officers found a 38-year-old suspect in a vehicle parked inside the garage at the property. During the search, the team also discovered materials believed to have been used for packaging drugs, along with cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime.
Police said the substances would undergo forensic analysis to establish their exact composition. The results will be needed to confirm the nature of the suspected drugs, while the circumstances surrounding the cash remain subject to investigation.
Cameron welcomed both seizures and commended the officers involved. He said South Africa needed consistent, targeted and coordinated policing to tackle drug-related crime.
The two operations resulted in seizures with a combined estimated street value of more than R209 million. While the airport seizure involved a substantial quantity of cocaine, investigators still need to establish the shipment’s wider trafficking route. In Gqeberha, forensic testing will help determine the precise composition of the substances recovered.
The cases demonstrate the continued work of law enforcement agencies at both an international airport and a residential property. Further investigative findings will be needed to clarify the outstanding details of the two operations.