Pretoria, 13 April 2018 – South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs officials at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) this week confiscated 108kg of drugs which were hidden in boxes and declared as ‘calcium carbonate’.

Officials inspected the boxes in the cargo section at ORTIA after they arrived from Kenya on Tuesday. They discovered a white powdery substance and a brown sand-like substance, which they sent to a private laboratory for testing. The results came back positive for the drug ketamine (the white powdery substance) and Acetylanthranil, a base ingredient for Methaqualone (mandrax).

The case has been handed over to the Hawks for further investigation.

In another incident, a truck leaving Lesotho was stopped yesterday (12 April) at Ficksburg border post in the Free State and searched after the driver acted suspiciously. Customs officials then discovered 207 bags filled with cannabis weighing over 6000kg. The total value of the cannabis is over R9million. The driver was taken into police custody.

SARS Customs this week also released statistics for the total number of busts which took place over the past financial year.

The combined value of goods confiscated from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 adds up to over R 2.3-billion.

According to Chief Officer for Customs and Excise, Mr Teboho Mokoena, the seizure of counterfeit clothing, footwear and other goods made up the biggest contribution, amounting to R1.8-billion.

This was followed by the seizure of narcotics, including Tik, cocaine and other drugs, amounting to over R326-million.

Some of the statistics include:

• Narcotics: 728 busts valued at R R326 898 911
• Cigarettes: 383 busts valued at R29 659 899
• CITES (including endangered species such as rhino horns and abalone): 55 busts valued at R45 298 167
• Currency: 21 busts valued at R79 304 889
• Viagra / Viagra Generics: 214 busts valued at R17 717 200
• Counterfeit clothing, footwear and other goods: 1698 busts valued at R1 811 678 633
• Clothing and Textiles (second hand and other infringements): 51 busts valued at R76 860 835
• Alcohol: 269 busts valued at R4 647 665

Some of the high-profile busts which took place during this period include a special high-visibility joint operation, led by SARS Customs and involving various government agencies, in Cape Town on 1 and 2 March 2018.

It resulted in 46 busts of goods with a value of R33 229 233. The biggest bust of the operation was the discovery of uncut crystal methamphetamine (tik) with an estimate value of R30-million stashed in fridges on a truck which arrived in Cape Town from Johannesburg.

In the same truck, a large amount of suspected counterfeit clothing was also discovered. The truck driver was arrested.

Other highlights include the seizure of:

• Rhino horn with an estimated value of R5 752 000 en route from South Africa to Hong Kong, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Cocaine with an estimated value of R56 676 900 en route from Brazil to Australia via South Africa,  at OR Tambo International Airport
• Cocaine with an estimated value of R10 069 500 en route from Brazil to Namibia via South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Cocaine with an estimated value of R7 480 200 en route from Brazil to Congo via South Africa seized at OR Tambo International Airport
• Crystal Meth with an estimated value of R7 200 000 from Nigeria to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Rhino horn with an estimated value of R4 600 000 en route from Zambia to Hong Kong via South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Currency (US dollars) valued R6 717 848 en route from South Africa to Dubai, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Ecstasy with an estimated value of R33 600 000 en route from Cameroon via Kenya to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Currency (US dollars) valued R10 328 010 en route from South Africa to Canada, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Currency (US dollars) valued R10 069 249 en route from Angola to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport.
• Sexual Enhancement Tablets valued R5 260 000 en route from India via Seychelles to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Currency (Rands and US dollars) valued R10 323 591.00 en route from South Africa to Dubai, at Cape Town International Airport
• Currency (Rands and US dollars) valued R6 198 828.50 en route from South Africa to Dubai, at King Shaka International Airport
• Crystal Meth with an estimated value of R6 180 000 en route within South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Abalone with an estimated value of R10 000 000.00 en route from South Africa to China, at Port Elizabeth Harbour
• Kamagra (Generic Viagra) valued at R4 000 000 en route from India to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Ephedrine with an estimated value of R17 202 000 en route from Kenya to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Currency (US dollars and pound sterling) valued R15 000 000 en route from South Africa to Dubai, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Viagra valued R9 000 000 en route from Dubai to South Africa, and OR Tambo International Airport
• Crystal Meth with an estimated value of R8 358 000 en route from Rwanda to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport
• Ephedrine with an estimated value of R17 202 000 en route from Kenya to South Africa, at OR Tambo International Airport

To see the infographics, click here.

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