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30 October 2015 – R3-million dagga bust at Nakop border post

30 October 2015 – R3-million dagga bust at Nakop border post

Pretoria, 30 October 2015 – SARS customs confiscated dagga and heroin worth more than R3-million in busts that took place in two separate incidents in the last 48 hours.
The first was when over 500kg of dagga was found hidden in a truck headed for Namibia early this morning. This is one of the biggest dagga busts by Customs officials yet.
The cannabis (dagga) was found in plastic bags hidden in the base of beds and inside mattresses, and is valued at R2.8-million.
A Customs official at Nakop stopped the driver and co-driver of a white Hyundai Light Delivery vehicle (LDV) at about 2am this morning (Friday 30 October 2015) in order to search the vehicle.
The three-ton truck, carrying 12 beds and mattresses, was taken for physical verification of the goods against the declared Customs documents. Upon further inspection by the Customs officers, it was detected that bags wrapped in plastic were hidden in the base of the beds and inside the mattresses. The inspection revealed cannabis (dagga) packed in 23 big bags containing about 100 smaller packages each, amounting to 2300 parcels in total. The estimated value of the cannabis, weighing 575.5 kg, is R2,8 million.
Both the driver and passenger were handed over to SAPS Nakop, who arrested both. The delivery truck was detained at Nakop Border Post pending the outcome of the investigation.
In the second incident, a Customs detector dog and handler were doing inspections of parcels at DHL at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) when the dog reacted positively to a parcel destined for Spain.
They then discovered four bags containing a powder-like substance hidden in the cut-out pages of a book. The substance tested positive for heroin. Altogether 1kg of heroin valued at R201 810 was found.
These are significant seizures by SARS Customs who implement daily inspections in an effort to foil smuggling of goods.
SARS will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to protect the country and its citizens by disrupting organised crime and reducing illicit trade activities.
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