South African Police Service (SAPS) national commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, says stronger ties between local law enforcement agencies and their American counterparts, have dealt a blow to drug syndicates bringing drugs into the country.
Masemola said the trend of South American countries importing drugs into SA is a problem.
"Fortunately, we have operations between our law enforcement agencies in South Africa and from America and we will continue cooperating and make sure that drugs from there do not reach our streets," he said.
Masemola said there is currently a team of officers, from various SAPS units in Brazil, to tighten relations between the law enforcement agencies.
"We want to make sure that whatever comes here, we arrest it before it gets to the streets," he said.
Masemola was speaking following the confiscation of R15million worth of cocaine from the Richards Bay Port of Entry.
This week, IOL reported that a multi-disciplinary team made up of King Cetshwayo District Task Team, Richards Bay ORS, Local Criminal Record Centre, South African Revenue Services Customs, US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Transnet Port Terminal Security and private security officers made the bust. No arrests were made as yet.
According to Masemola, in the last six months, police in the province have recorded a number of cocaine busts at the Durban Harbour and King Shaka International Airports Dube Tradeport with the largest consignment seized at the Durban Harbour valued at R115 million in December 2023.
“Our intelligence is on the ground, our police officers are hard at work in clamping down the illicit flow of drugs into the country. We are working closely with international law enforcement authorities to detect and dislodge the work of international drug syndicates. We give credit to our vigilant police officers who are leaving nothing to chance”, Masemola said.
He added that since the launch of Operation Shanela in May last year, police have arrested 49, 851 suspects possession of drugs and 17, 798 suspects have been arrested for dealing in drugs.
IOL News