South Africa busts cocaine haul worth over US$15 million

The Hawks, the country’s intelligence agency said in a statement on Tuesday, that its Serious Organised Crime Investigation team found cocaine weighing more than 600kg last Thursday.

Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said: “The team received information about an MSC vessel that was sailing from South America to South Africa, transporting containers with wooden floorboards which had cocaine concealed within the consignment.

“On arrival at the harbour, the containers were searched. It was discovered that between the boards, there were large black sports bags, each containing bricks of cocaine,” said Mbambo.

No arrests were made, and the investigation was continuing, Mbambo added.

“I appreciate that the efforts of members of the DPCI (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks) are disrupting the supply of drugs. With the cargo safely in good hands, we shall now be focussing on the perpetrators,” Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya said.