CRIME experts believe that KwaZulu-Natal is increasingly be

• Published date: 26 April 2024
• Author: Yogashen Pillay and Karen Singh
• Publication title: Cape Times, The (Cape Town, South Africa)

This follows media reports that the SAPS national commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, revealed that R1.5 billion worth of drugs has been intercepted in KZN from October 2023 to April 2024

The latest bust saw R15 million worth of cocaine recovered from a vessel travelling from Columbia to the Port of Richards Bay on Monday.

Chad Thomas, an organised and financial crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, said although this was concerning, it was good news to see drug busts taking place.

“For far too long, international organised crime syndicates have treated South Africa as their playground and as a springboard to other countries when it came to intercontinental smuggling.”

Thomas said these big busts could be attributed to SAPS crime intelligence operations.

“Along with working with their colleagues from the SA Narcotics Bureau (Sanab) division of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Unit in collaboration with their international law-enforcement counterparts, it is clear that the only way that the SAPS can break the back of international drug smuggling syndicates will be through effective multi-jurisdictional inter-agency projects.”

Mary de Haas, KZN Violence Monitor, said South Africa had long been targeted with drugs from elsewhere in the world. “Sixty or more years ago police would raid ships in Durban harbour for opium.”

She added that big harbours were prime smuggling sites as some of these drugs need to be sourced from the East or South...