Pemba-bound mandrax seized in Durban

TERRY HUTSON SOUTH AFRICAN Police Services and a unit of the Scorpions conducted another successful drug bust at Durban harbour last week when a container with an estimated R650 million worth of mandrax powder was seized off the coaster Songo before it could be taken to Pemba in Mozambique. The container, which originated in China, was opened and found to contain over 5 tonnes of pure methaqualone, better known as mandrax and disguised as washing powder concealed in 350 buckets. Police said this was enough to manufacture an estimated 11 million mandrax tablets. Although no arrests have been made SA Police Services say they hope that enquiries will lead them to the masterminds whom they suspect to be a Chinese syndicate, using ports like Durban and Pemba to smuggle large quantities of drugs into southern Africa. Last month (August) police, acting on a tip-off from their counterparts in Hong Kong, the US and Mozambique, intercepted a container with what was initially reported as 6 tonnes of mandrax powder disguised as paint powder. This was also bound for Pemba and subsequent evaluation revealed the haul to be much bigger than thought - about 10 tonnes.