A cocaine consignment from Brazil was recently intercepted at a harbour in Gqeberha. It is the third major bust in South Africa in about three weeks, bringing the value of the drug seized in that time to R215-million.

Yet another multimillion-rand stash of cocaine has been intercepted on a vessel that travelled from Brazil and entered South Africa.

The crackdown is the third similar bust involving cocaine, this country and Brazil in just more than two weeks, which suggests police are acting on information gleaned before the drug reaches this country.

In other drug-busting operations, they recently destroyed drugs worth a collective R800-million previously intercepted around South Africa.

Daily Maverick has reported extensively on international drug channels involving Brazil - it appears that traffickers prefer using maritime routes to push cocaine into and through this country.

There have been several recent busts suggesting maritime routes are still favoured, but that planes are also used to try to smuggle smaller quantities of drugs.

In one of the latest interceptions, the South African Police Service (SAPS) announced that it seized a R65-million cocaine consignment.

Trafficking investigations

This happened at a seaport in Gqeberha on 2 November 2023.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said officers intercepted a vessel as it was docking, after it had entered South Africa from Brazil, and found 35 blocks of cocaine on it.

#sapsHQ [DRUG BUST] Another consignment of drugs have...