Durban police, acting on intelligence, uncovered a massive cocaine shipment worth an estimated R86 million at the Durban Harbour on Monday.
The cocaine, weighing approximately 173 kilograms, was concealed within bags of red beans imported from Brazil.
The container was transported to a warehouse where the discovery was made. Police had received information about the drugs en route to Durban and had kept surveillance on a ship that had been waiting to enter the harbour.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi announced the discovery during a briefing at the warehouse, emphasising the meticulous planning that led to the operation's success.
"The cartels crushed the cocaine and packaged it in small boxes to resemble beans, making it almost indistinguishable from legitimate goods," explained Mkhwanazi.
The drugs were stored in specially marked bags placed strategically at the top of the container for easy retrieval by the owners.
Mkhwanazi detailed how the shipment’s journey began in Brazil before making a stopover in another country. The vessel, flagged by authorities, anchored near uMhlanga for a week before docking at Durban port. Police maintained round-the-clock surveillance on the ship to prevent any tampering with the flagged cargo.
"The team identified and isolated 10 containers from the shipment. One of these containers was found to hold the illicit cargo," Mkhwanazi said.
The operation, conducted in collaboration with port authorities, ensured that the suspected containers were moved to a secure location for thorough inspection.
Mkhwanazi clarified that the warehouse owners and shipping companies were not implicated, emphasising that the criminals exploited legitimate logistics networks.
"These cartels are leveraging the movement of goods between Brazil and South Africa, embedding drugs within legitimate shipments," he said.
The police commissioner praised the forensic team's role in identifying the cocaine, which had been meticulously disguised. He added that ongoing investigations were underway to examine additional containers, with machinery on-site aiding in the process.
Mkhwanazi commended the intelligence-led operation for intercepting the shipment before it could reach the streets. "This discovery is a significant blow to the cartels smuggling drugs into our country," he said, vowing continued efforts to disrupt the operations of criminal syndicates.