Nearly R5.3 billion in drugs destroyed in three years by the SAPS

Nearly R5.3 billion in drugs destroyed in three years by the SAPS

Zuko Komisa

• South African authorities have destroyed nearly R5.3 billion worth of drugs over the last three years, culminating in a recent R340 million incineration in March.
• The destroyed narcotics—including mandrax, cocaine, and heroin—were seized from criminal syndicates and drug traffickers across the country.
• Notable confiscations include R50 million in mandrax manufacturing substances and a R285,000 haul of mandrax from KwaZulu-Natal.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has destroyed a staggering R5.3 billion worth of drugs over the past three years. This figure includes a recent haul valued at R340 million that was incinerated earlier this year in March.

The destroyed substances, which included mandrax, cocaine, heroin, and various unregistered pharmaceutical products, are the same ones that fuel addiction and empower criminal organisations across the country.

The ongoing effort to disrupt these syndicates is a testament to the tireless work of investigators and the broader law enforcement community.

Among the notable seizures contributing to this total are several high-profile cases:

• R285,000 worth of mandrax, confiscated in Emandeni, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2022.
• Mandrax manufacturing substances with a street value of R50 million, discovered in false compartments of a truck at the Ramatlabama port of entry in 2022. The truck was en route to Johannesburg when it was intercepted.
• R6 million worth of cocaine seized at OR Tambo International Airport between 2016 and 2022. This operation led to the arrest of six drug traffickers, who were subsequently sentenced to between three and ten years in prison.