Pretoria – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has prevented drugs worth millions of rands from entering or leaving the country in the month of June.
Giving an update on what the law enforcement agency did to curb custom crimes such as smuggling, fraud and abuse of the tax system, SARS’s deputy spokesperson Marika Muller also said in a statement that a man was sentenced to three years in jail for trying to bribe a customs official when he tried to smuggle counterfeit clothing worth R360 000 in Cape Town.
Muller said drugs prevented from entering or leaving the country included cocaine worth R6 million in 11 operations. Dagga and Viagra tablets worth hundreds of thousands of rands were also seized in several other operations.
Other illegal items seized included four rough diamonds from a man travelling from Windhoek in Namibia to South Africa and some 239 master cases and 1 249 cartons of cigarettes, with a total value of over R2.1 million, which were being smuggled into the country.
“Two snakes, native to the USA, were found abandoned in toilets on the incoming side of the Kopfontein Border Post. They have been handed over to the SPCA.
“Eight South African Passports and 3 South African ID books, in a courier parcel to Dubai. They have been handed over to Immigration authorities.
“Two blacklisted cell phones, in a parcel to Pakistan. They have been handed over to the SAPS for further investigation,” Muller said. – SAnews.gov.za
