The Border Management Authority (BMA) has reported a week of significant law-enforcement gains, with suspected illicit drugs and smuggled tobacco products intercepted on key routes and at ports of entry.
The authority described the crackdown as a demonstration of the value of “sustained, intelligence-led and coordinated law-enforcement operations aimed at disrupting the movement of illicit goods and strengthening border security”.
Last Friday, BMA and police officials seized nearly one tonne of suspected dagga during an operation at the Baobab Toll Plaza in Limpopo.
“The operation was conducted approximately 51 kilometres from the Beitbridge Port of Entry, where officials stopped a vehicle travelling towards Beitbridge. The vehicle was occupied by two male occupants who identified themselves as Tanzanian nationals.
“During the inspection, the occupants indicated that they did not have the keys to the padlock securing the vehicle’s canopy. The vehicle was subsequently escorted to the Beitbridge Port of Entry for further inspection.
“Upon arrival, BMA and SAPS [South African Police Service] officials opened the canopy in the presence of the occupants and discovered 33 bags containing suspected dagga, weighing approximately 991.5 kilograms,” the BMA said in a statement.
The drugs are worth an estimated street value of some R1.5 million.
The two men were arrested and handed over to police.
In another operation, a truck carrying suspected illicit tobacco worth nearly R2 million was intercepted near the Kosi Bay Port of Entry.
“The officials stopped a green truck bearing Mozambican registration plates and…discovered 150 master cases of flavoured hookah tobacco and 50 bags of chewing tobacco concealed beneath a load of beans. The driver, a Mozambican national, indicated that the consignment was destined for Durban.
“Following consultations with the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS Provincial Counterfeit Unit, the consignment was booked at Manguzi SAPS for further investigation. A formal inquiry docket was registered, and the matter was referred to the Provincial Counterfeit Unit.
“The products were suspected to have been smuggled from India through Mozambique into South Africa, based on their foreign labelling and health warnings,” the statement read.
Last Sunday at the OR Tambo airport, the BMA, with police, arrested a 52-year-old South African national and seized substances suspected to be heroin with an estimated street value of more than R2 million.
The man arrived from Ghana and was intercepted by officials, and a search of his luggage “uncovered bullet-like objects and blocks containing substances suspected to be heroin”.
“The suspect is expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court to face drug trafficking-related charges, while investigations continue.
“According to [the] SAPS, the arrest brings the number of suspected drug mules arrested at OR Tambo International Airport to three in the past three weeks,” the statement continued.
BMA Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, commended officials and law-enforcement partners for continued collaboration in disrupting the movement of illicit goods.
“These operations demonstrate the importance of sustained law-enforcement visibility, intelligence sharing and coordinated interventions along our borders and strategic routes.
“The BMA will continue to work closely with SAPS and other law enforcement partners to identify and disrupt illicit movements and prevent prohibited goods from entering or moving through the country,” Masiapato said. – SAnews.gov.za
