A coordinated multi-agency operation at the Durban Harbour has resulted in the confiscation of roughly 90 kilograms of suspected cocaine, carrying an estimated street value of R36 million.
The seizure, which occurred on June 6, 2026, was executed through a joint effort by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Customs officials, the Durban Visible Policing Operations (VPO), and the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC). The operation was spearheaded by the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB), a specialized unit within the DPCI’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) division.
The investigation was initiated when Customs officers flagged a suspicious shipment at the port’s Q and R Car Terminal. An excavator, which had just disembarked from the cargo vessel *Neptune Ace Tokyo* after arriving from Santos, Brazil, was targeted. Customs subsequently handed the scene over to DPCI investigators.
During a meticulous search of the heavy machinery, officers discovered 47 blocks of a powdery substance suspected to be cocaine. The packages were cleverly stashed inside a panel that provided access to the excavator’s engine compartment.
While authorities were still processing the initial find, Customs officers alerted the team to a second, separate concealment. This time, the contraband was hidden in a different excavator that had already been offloaded from the same Brazilian-bound ship. A swift secondary inspection of the second machine yielded an additional 43 blocks of the suspected narcotic.
In total, the joint task force confiscated 90 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Based on an estimated street price of R400,000 per kilogram, authorities place the total illicit value of the haul at approximately R36 million.
The seized blocks are slated for transport to the Forensic Science Laboratory, where they will undergo rigorous chemical testing to confirm their exact composition.
Police have confirmed that no suspects have been apprehended in connection with the shipment thus far. The matter remains an active and ongoing investigation.