One of South Africa’s biggest ever cocaine busts took place in the Eastern Cape this week.
Uncut South American cocaine valued at a gargantuan R720m, believed to be the work of an international drug cartel, was found on the vessel MSC Spain in Port Elizabeth’s Port of Ngqura on Monday morning.
The Hawks, tipped off by Interpol, raided the vessel and discovered 706kg of cocaine, all vacuumed-packed and plastic-wrapped in 1kg packets.
They were inside a container sent from Brazil en route to Singapore and India.
Cops dug out one container buried under 3,669 others near the bottom of the ship.
The bust took place when the vessel docked to offload other containers.
Ranked as the largest uncut cocaine bust in South African history over the last year, it was much-awaited by the Hawks, who said the tip-off from Interpol came in December.
This the second raid of its kind in Ngqura port. In 2010 a container carrying cocaine valued at R400m was found sealed inside the frame of a shipping container. The bust also followed a tip-off from Interpol.
In that bust, former Cuban spy Nelson Yester-Garrido – who is believed to be linked to the network involving convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti – was arrested at his Hyde Park, Johannesburg, home. Charges against Yester-Garrido were later withdrawn following numerous delays in the case.
In this week’s bust, the cocaine packages were found to have either the branding “Choelo” stamped on them or a logo of a hand and the word “Fatima”.
The haul was taken in sealed evidence packets to the police’s public order policing unit in Struandale for safekeeping.
Port captain Thulani Dubeko said police contacted the port asking them to keep track of the MSC Spain. “When it docked we alerted the police and they did their thing,” he said.
Dubeko said the vessel docked at about 2am on Monday and was set to leave by Tuesday afternoon. “The search and confiscation has not hampered the movement of the vessel in any way and it is keeping to its schedule.”
During a briefing at the police office in Struandale, Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya said they were alerted to the drugs on board the vessel on December 27 and had been monitoring the vessel over the past 12 days.
“When it docked we began the search. Several roleplayers and various units were involved including customs and SA Revenue Service,” he said. “The ship was scheduled to stop off here to do a drop-off of other containers and load others.”
After several hours of searching on Monday, the container was found on the sixth floor below deck. “It was right at the bottom, below 3,669 other containers. The way it was hidden and right at the bottom of the vessel just shows how these cartels were so determined and organised,” he said.
“The crooks were determined to ensure that no one would detect this [haul]. It was designed to evade detection. You can imagine that this detection requires intense labour and is very time-consuming.”
Lebeya said that while no arrests had yet been made, they would continue to work with Interpol as the probe unfolds.
“The cargo was going to Singapore and then its final destination, which is India.
“This cargo was clandestinely loaded into the ship in Brazil. When it landed in SA waters we came in. This type of crime is a transnational crime and is very organised.”
Lebeya said that the MSC Spain would not be detained and detectives were liaising with police in the other countries involved.
“When dealing with cartels, it is important to note that money is the crucial commodity.
“Profit is what motives them. In dismantling the business we do not only sever the demand and supply, but also prosecute the perpetrators and target their profits.”
In June 2018, Namibian Grant Noble, 36, and South African Dinath Azhar, 62, were arrest in Namibia after a container with 412kg of cocaine was seized.
It is alleged the container was dispatched from Brazil via Cape Town and then to its end destination in Walvis Bay.
A month later, Hawks found a state-of-the-art underground Mandrax-manufacturing lab in Harding, KwaZulu-Natal.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said at the time that the mandrax making equipment and lab paraphernalia seized were valued at nearly R250m...