Bongani Hans
ACTING on information from the US, the Durban Organised Crime Unit surrounded a Liberian vessel and intercepted a consignment of cocaine worth about R60 million yesterday.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Vincent Mdunge said the ship was identified as the Passific Mayde.
“We waited and monitored the ship until it got closer to our waters. It was stopped and searched when it was about 12 miles from South African waters.
“We had to stop the ship before it entered Durban Harbour, because if it had docked the drugs could have easily disappeared,” said Mdunge.
The Durban Organised Crime Unit stopped the ship at about 6am and called in the forensic unit, operation response service and the dog unit.
The search inside went on until 1pm, during which the crew were questioned.
Although no arrests were made, Zwane said the police had established that a South Africa-US syndicate was behind the shipment.
The forensic unit took the drugs to its laboratory where fingerprints were picked up.
Mdunge said the raid was one of the unit’s most successful.
Anti-Drug Alliance South Africa national director Quintin van Kerken welcomed the bust.
“But the police are only getting 5 percent of the drugs that are coming into the country.
“Importation is huge, and it is sad. Lots of these drugs end up being sold in South Africa,” he said.