Two major cocaine seizures at the Port of Durban within three days were the result of targeted customs inspections based on intelligence-led risk profiling, according to the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
On Tuesday, SARS and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation announced the seizure of 30 bricks of cocaine from a container vessel that had arrived from South America. The discovery followed an earlier interception on June 6, when customs officials uncovered approximately 90 bricks of cocaine concealed inside heavy-duty excavators imported through the port.
In the latest case, customs officials identified the vessel as high risk and conducted an inspection after signs of tampering were detected on a container located below the waterline. The search led to the discovery of the concealed narcotics.
The earlier seizure involved a consignment of excavators imported from South America, where officials found approximately 90 cocaine bricks hidden within the machinery.
The operations demonstrated the effectiveness of the revenue service's intelligence-driven customs enforcement strategy, SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said.
According to SARS, customs enforcement increasingly relies on data-driven risk assessment, intelligence gathering and non-intrusive inspection technologies to identify high-risk shipments while facilitating legitimate trade.
The interceptions form part of a broader customs modernisation programme aimed at improving compliance, strengthening border management and enhancing risk detection capabilities. As part of this drive, SARS recently introduced a digital declaration system for foreign-registered vehicles entering South Africa.
