Johannesburg - A R400 million drug bust has resulted in the arrest of eight suspects who were identified as the members of an international drug trafficking organisation who are smuggling cocaine between South Africa and Brazil
The eight arrested were expected to appear today in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on preliminary charges of dealing in drugs.
According to a Hawks report, an extensive joint investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Australian Federal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation led to more arrests and seizure of property used in cocaine smuggling.
“On June 2, 2021, a suspect driving a bakkie pulling a trailer with a boat was arrested after 805kg of cocaine were found concealed inside the hull of the ski-boat on the N1 highway in Pretoria. The drugs had an estimated value of R400m.
“A bakkie, trailer, three boats and a rubber duck with a combined value of more than R18.6m, drugs and cash seized from the suspect have been forfeited to the state,” said the Hawks.
The Hawks said 16 more targets including an alleged kingpin who is also sought in Belgium have been identified. The investigation is ongoing.
The Star