The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has intercepted more than 333kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R167 million at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), in a major blow to suspected drug-smuggling operations.
The seizure was made by SARS Customs and Excise officials during a targeted operation involving a flight arriving from São Paulo, Brazil.
Two separate consignments of cocaine were discovered during the operation — one concealed in passenger luggage and another found in unmanifested cargo.
83kg of cocaine found in passenger luggage
Customs officials were conducting screening operations in the international arrivals hall when they identified two pieces of luggage that raised suspicion.
A subsequent search uncovered 75 bricks of cocaine weighing 83.10kg.
The luggage seizure was immediately handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation and forensic processing.
But the operation did not end with the discovery of the passenger baggage.
Narcotics dog detects another 250kg
During a separate search linked to the same flight, SARS narcotics detector dog Lagertha alerted officers to four boxes of unmanifested cargo that had been off-loaded from the aircraft.
Customs officials searched the boxes and discovered an additional 250kg of cocaine.
The combined weight of the two seizures exceeded 333kg.
SAPS forensic specialists subsequently processed the scene and secured the evidence for further investigation.
Similar markings raise questions about the consignments
SARS said the cocaine discovered in both the passenger luggage and the unmanifested cargo carried similar “Air” branding.
According to the revenue service, the similarity could indicate a possible connection between the two consignments.
The discovery of the separate shipments from the same flight is likely to form part of the investigation as authorities attempt to establish whether they were connected to a wider trafficking operation.
No arrests were identified in the information released by SARS concerning the seizure.
SARS intensifies fight against drug smuggling
The operation forms part of SARS’s intensified efforts to prevent narcotics and other prohibited goods from entering South Africa through the country’s ports of entry.
The airport operation involved several layers of screening and enforcement, including:
- Aircraft baggage off-loading inspections
- Passenger baggage screening
- Cargo inspections
- Narcotics detection technology and trained detector dogs
- Intelligence and risk profiling
The combination of these measures allowed officials to identify both the passenger luggage and the unmanifested cargo.
SARS says intelligence and technology are key
SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu said the seizure demonstrated the importance of combining intelligence, data analytics, risk profiling, technology and the work of Customs officials.
He said SARS was strengthening its ability to identify and disrupt increasingly sophisticated drug-smuggling networks.
The commissioner also thanked law-enforcement agencies and international partners for their cooperation in tackling transnational organised crime and strengthening South Africa’s border security.
Major cocaine seizure at one of South Africa’s busiest airports
The latest interception highlights the role of OR Tambo International Airport as a critical point of entry requiring extensive customs and security screening.
The discovery of more than 333kg of cocaine in both passenger luggage and cargo demonstrates the different methods traffickers may attempt to use to move illicit substances through international transport networks.
For SARS, the operation also illustrates the importance of combining physical inspections with intelligence-led targeting.
The cocaine has been secured as evidence, while SAPS continues with the investigation into the consignments and those responsible for attempting to bring them into South Africa.
With an estimated value of R167 million, the seizure represents a significant disruption to a suspected international narcotics-smuggling operation.
