Durban - Police seized more than 260 bricks of cocaine from a vessel at the weekend.
Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Bonnie Nxumalo said the Durban-based Hawks’ SA narcotics enforcement bureau was investigating where the cocaine confiscated at Durban harbour originated from.
"On Saturday, the Hawks team and SAPS Operational Response Services were alerted about a suspicious consignment in a vessel that was ferrying trucks. The team arrived at the said place and recovered canvas bags with 265 bricks of cocaine.
“The drugs have an estimated value of R111 million. Preliminary investigation was conducted and the owners of the shipment could not be located," she said.
Nxumalo said the drugs were seized subject to an ongoing investigation. No arrest had been made at this stage.
Six months ago, drugs worth around R240m were seized at the harbour. At the time, Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo, said officers seized more than 600kg of cocaine aboard a vessel carrying wooden floorboards. She said when the vessel arrived, it was searched and officers found the drugs.
Mbambo added that the vessel had sailed to South Africa from South America. The drugs were found between the floorboards, in large black bags. Police have yet to make an arrest.
IOL