7 December 2007
Pretoria, 7 December 2007 â Customs officials of the South African Revenue
Service (Sars) this morning confiscated a large quantity of cocaine that was
being smuggled into South Africa as imported cargo.
The drugs were concealed as part of a consignment of cargo that was on board
a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil which landed at OR Tambo International Airport
(ORTIA) after 8h00 this morning. The cocaine was concealed in musical
instrument boxes.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the quantity of the cocaine amounts
to about 67 kg with an estimated street value of over R30 million making it one
of the biggest seizures in recent times.
Sars has been working closely with the South African Police Service and
other law enforcement agencies in the fight against the illicit trade in drugs
and other illegal goods.
These combined law enforcement efforts have thus far resulted in significant
breakthroughs in the illicit supply chain of smuggled goods. In January this
year Sars Customs confiscated 20 kg of cocaine at ORTIA and a further 23 kg of
cocaine which was detected and confiscated.
During the last financial year (2006/07) Sars Customs conducted 86 seizures
of various quantities of cocaine at border posts across South Africa.
Issued by: South African Revenue Service
7 December 2007
Source: South African Revenue Service (http://www.sars.gov.za)
