October was a bad month for narcotraffickers operating in South Africa - with masses of drugs being intercepted and destroyed, plus two customs officials and a flight attendant jailed for smuggling.

Recent police operations related to narcotrafficking have wiped nearly R1-billion worth of drugs off the market. Days after intercepting two batches of cocaine totalling about R150-million in Durban, the South African Police Service (SAPS) destroyed R800-million worth of drugs, including heroin and mandrax, that were seized earlier across the country.

The day the R800-million pile was destroyed in Johannesburg, it was announced that two South African Revenue Service (SARS) officials, along with a flight attendant, were sentenced to at least a decade in jail each for drug dealing via OR Tambo International Airport.

Daily Maverick has reported extensively on how South Africa is cemented in global drug trafficking and how various cartels and gangs operate in and via the country.

Some recent drug crackdowns linked to South Africa involve other states including Australia and Brazil.

Cocaine interceptions

Daily Maverick reported that on 18 October 2023 a vessel making its way from Brazil was intercepted in Durban harbour, and R70-million worth of cocaine discovered.

Two days later, on 20 October, as part of follow-up investigations into the shipment of drugs, police discovered another cocaine consignment from Brazil, worth about R80-million.

The cocaine was disguised to look like packages...