Police confirmed the destruction of drugs worth R500m earlier this week.

The drugs were confiscated during police operations in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga. They included cocaine, heroin, Mandrax and cannabis, according to police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe.

“This is the fifth drug destruction process in this financial year. In this financial year alone, more than R1bn worth of drugs have been destroyed. In the 2022/2023 financial year, 20 tons of drugs worth R2bn were seized and destroyed.

“From October last year to date, police have intercepted four massive drug consignments. Three were in Durban and one was in Gqeberha. Cocaine valued at more than R365m was seized during the drug busts.”

The most recent bust took place on December 4 at the Durban harbour when 33 blocks of cocaine worth R151m were discovered hidden in meat boxes.

Other successes, all at the Durban harbour, include 700kg of cannabis worth R21m, 530kg of cocaine worth R185m and 223kg tablets containing Fenethylline, a nervous system stimulant, worth R17.5m seized in three separate cases.

Mathe said last week police operations in Eastern Cape and Western Cape resulted in the seizure of drugs worth R90m.

Source: TimesLIVE