South Africa: South Africa Seizes Drugs Worth Three Million Rand Along Border With Mozambique

Maputo — The South African authorities seized, over the last month, along the border with Mozambique, unspecified drugs worth three million rand from smugglers (183,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate).

Figures supplied by the Joint Operations Division of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) show an increase from the 787,000 rand worth of drugs seized in May.

South African Soldiers also confiscated goods valued at just over one million rand along the KwaZulu-Natal border with Eswatini and Mozambique.

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"The majority of contraband (R2.9 million) was recovered last month in Limpopo, bordering Zimbabwe. Along the KwaZulu-Natal border with Eswatini and Mozambique, soldiers confiscated goods valued at just over R1 million. In June soldiers stopped suspicious persons for questioning with, as per Joint Operations, 76 found to be wanted in connection with crime. Fifty-two of those handed to police were detained on the Kwazulu-Natal border with Eswatini and Mozambique", reads the statement.

Overall, South African soldiers patrolling the country's six land borders intercepted nine million rands' worth of contraband and stolen vehicles in June as part of Operation Corona.

"Regarding contraband, criminals lost a total of 4.59 million rands in goods not subject to import duties or customs fees, an increase of 1.1 million rands compared to May. The bulk of the contraband (2.9 million rands) was seized in Limpopo, along the border with Zimbabwe", reads the report.

Following the interception of at least 68 illegal immigrants in May who were attempting to reach their destinations in South Africa, June saw the apprehension and handover of 521 undocumented foreign nationals to the police and officials from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Mozambicans accounted for the largest group of offenders, totaling 207 individuals.

Also in June, soldiers stopped suspicious individuals for questioning. 76 of them were wanted for crimes. Of that number, 52 individuals were detained at the KwaZulu-Natal border with Eswatini and Mozambique and subsequently handed over to the police.