Thirty bricks of suspected narcotics with an estimated street value of R65 million have been seized from a vessel in Durban.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) said its Durban Customs office conducted a collaborative intelligence operation in the early morning of 12 October, leading to the seizure from a refrigeration unit of the vessel.

A Customs marine unit patrol vessel was used to intercept a vessel near the Fairway Bouy at Outer Anchorage about 4 nautical miles of the East Coast of Durban. The Enforcement Team intercepted the vessel as it was entering the port and escorted the vessel to its berth. The Enforcement Team Boarded the vessel, interviewed the Master, and examined documentation to identify the location of a profiled container.

The container was located and resulted in one positive detection of bricks of suspected narcotics, SARS said in a statement.

The drugs were handed over to the South African Police Service’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) for further investigation, prosecution and destruction.

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter expressed his gratitude to the SARS Customs and other law enforcement agencies for their work. Customs demonstrated its gallantry by working so hard and in the dead of night, he said. “This speaks to an unwavering commitment by SARS to protect our borders and keep at bay all criminals that are bent on shipping harmful substance that cause unmitigated suffering for our inhabitants.”