“It was packaged in the way beans are packaged. It feels like beans and yet it is not. The team has managed to find these bags and forensics is here to process the scene,” said Mkhwanazi.
“These are the criminals and cartels which are piggybacking off the legitimate goods from Brazil coming to South Africa.”
He said that the drugs were crushed and placed in bags in ten containers on the ship as it detoured from Brazil to another location.
“It began its voyage in early November, coming from another nation. It has been moored outside uMhlanga for about a week, waiting to enter the port.”
Mkhwanazi confirmed that a police unit had been on guard till it arrived at the port. The vessel was flagged and directed to a certain berthing location and the containers were then transported to a facility on South Coast Road.
Mkhwanazi said that the owners of the prominent logistics firm warehouse had nothing to do with the narcotics.
“The reason we are here is because it’s a place where the shipping company had identified as a safer place where these items can be searched while the police are doing their search,” Mkhwanazi explained.
“Fortunately the search was conducted and 178kg worth of drugs was discovered. The containers were not the same as those with drugs. They were marked differently. They had a sticker and were packed on top,” said Mkhwanazi.
The shipment was destined for Johannesburg according to police.
[source:timeslive]
