By Inside Politics Reporter
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, has seized approximately 90 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of R36 million at the Durban Harbour.
The operation, carried out on 6 June 2026, involved members of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation’s South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB), Customs officials, the Durban Vehicle Processing Organisation (VPO), and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
According to the Hawks, the drugs were concealed inside two excavators that had arrived aboard the vessel Neptune Ace Tokyo from Santos, Brazil.
Customs officials alerted investigators after discovering suspicious packages hidden within a panel leading to the engine compartment. A thorough inspection led to the seizure of 47 blocks of suspected cocaine. A second excavator was later found to contain an additional 43 blocks, bringing the total haul to 90 kilograms.
No arrests have been made
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