A major drug trafficking operation suffered a significant setback on Sunday after authorities uncovered approximately 90 kilograms of suspected cocaine concealed inside heavy machinery at Durban Harbour.
The massive seizure, valued at an estimated R36 million on the street, was made through a coordinated operation involving the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Customs officials, the Durban Vehicle Processing Organisation (VPO), and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
The discovery began when members of the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB), attached to the Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit in Durban, received intelligence from Customs officials about suspicious cargo that had arrived from Brazil.
According to police, the vessel Neptune Ace Tokyo had docked carrying excavators shipped from Santos, Brazil, to Durban’s Q and R Car Terminal. What appeared to be ordinary industrial equipment soon became the focus of a high-level narcotics investigation.
SAPS spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said Customs officials first alerted investigators to suspected cocaine concealed within one of the excavators.
Once the scene was handed over to DPCI investigators, a detailed search of the machinery revealed suspicious packages hidden behind a panel leading to the engine compartment.
The inspection uncovered 47 tightly packed blocks containing a powdered substance believed to be cocaine.
But the operation was far from over.
While investigators were processing the first scene, Customs officials identified a second concealment point in another excavator that had already been offloaded from the vessel.
A further inspection led to the discovery of an additional 43 blocks of suspected cocaine.
In total, authorities seized 90 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
Based on an estimated value of R400,000 per kilogram, police believe the narcotics could have fetched around R36 million on the streets.
The seizure highlights the increasingly sophisticated methods used by international drug trafficking syndicates to move illicit substances across borders and through South Africa’s key ports of entry.
Despite the significant breakthrough, no arrests have yet been made.
Mogale confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing and that the seized exhibits will be transported to the Forensic Science Laboratory for chemical analysis and confirmation.
Acting KwaZulu-Natal DPCI Provincial Head Brigadier Zenobia Mulligan praised the multidisciplinary team responsible for the operation.
She said the successful seizure demonstrated the vigilance and commitment of law enforcement agencies working to disrupt transnational organised crime networks.
“The DPCI remains committed to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and safeguarding South Africa’s ports of entry from organised criminal activities, even when their integrity is under scrutiny,” Mulligan said.
She added that investigators would continue carrying out their mandate without fear or favour.
The latest seizure adds to growing concerns about South Africa’s strategic role in global drug trafficking routes, with criminal syndicates increasingly targeting major ports to move narcotics into and through the country.
As investigators work to trace the origins and intended destination of the shipment, authorities are expected to intensify efforts to identify those behind the multimillion-rand operation.