Durban – The SA Police Service (SAPS) in KwaZulu-Natal has seized drugs with an estimated street value of R1,5 billion since October last year.
Police made several cocaine busts at the Durban Harbour and King Shaka International Airport.
Speaking during the official opening of the Donnybrook Police Station in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday, (23 April 2024), SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola commended the police for working hard to prevent and combat the illicit flow of drugs into the country.
In the latest drug bust, a multidisciplinary team consisting of border police officers and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) officers seized cocaine to the value of R15 million from a vessel that had just docked at the Richards Bay Port on Monday from Colombia.
Since October last year, police in the province have recorded several 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 rand in December 2023.
General Masemola said SAPS intelligence structures were hard at work.
“Our intelligence is on the ground, our police officers are hard at work in clamping down the illicit flow of drugs into the country,” said General Masemola.
“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.”
Since the launch of Operation Shanela on 8 May 2023 to date, the following successes have been achieved:
- 49 851 suspects arrested for possession of drugs
- 17 798 suspects have been arrested for dealing in drugs
Although the Donnybrook Police Station has been operational since 2016 it was officially handed over on Tuesday by the National Commissioner.
In a related development on Monday, Police Minister General Bheki Cele officiated over proceedings at the official handing over of the Gamalakhe Police Station.
The SAPS remains hard at work in building more Police Stations across the country to ensure greater access to policing services for communities.
All in all, there are 1 164 police stations in the country.
