The Hawks have seized cocaine worth R15 million at the Richards Bay port.

In a statement, the Hawks say they received information that a ship from Colombia transporting iron, also had drugs on board.

They waited for the ship to dock on Monday and searched it, upon which the drugs was discovered.

The Hawks say the US Drug Enforcement Agency were also on site when the blocks of cocaine was seized.

Members received information about a vessel that was traveling from Columbia to Richards Bay Port of Entry. It was indicated that the vessel was importing iron to South Africa and it was also carrying drugs. An inquiry was registered and a disruptive operations was planned.

A preliminary investigation was conducted and certain evidence was collected, but no arrests has been made at this stage.

The KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Provincial Head, Major General Lesetja Senona welcomed the seizure of the drugs.

“The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) would like to thank all role players that participated in this operation especially the external stakeholders who ensured that these drugs are not landing in the streets of this country, we will continue to work together with other internal stakeholders to track and trace the perpetrators involved in this drug trafficking.”

This is the latest bust involving foreign drugs being transported to South Africa for delivery via the country’s harbours and roads.

One of the largest seizures came on 30 July 2021 when police found one ton of cocaine in a shipping container at the port of Durban, that had arrived from Brazil’s port of Santos.

Some other notable cocaine busts:

• 8 January 2019: Hawks intercepted 706kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R706 million, hidden beneath thousands of containers at Port Elizabeth harbour.
• May 2021: A massive cocaine bust involving a fishing vessel off the coast of Saldanha yielded 973 blocks of compressed cocaine worth an estimated R583 million.
• June 2021: Hawks discover 541kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R216 million, in canvas bags placed in a legitimate shipment of animal food at Isipingo, Durban.
• June 2021: Hawks intercept a boat pulled by a bakkie on the N1 near Tshwane. The boat was filled with 805kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R400 million. Eight people were arrested and charged.
• 9 July 2021: The Hawks seized a container in Durban to be transported to Johannesburg, which contained 715kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R286 million. Six suspects were arrested, including two police officials and a traffic officer.
• 30 July 2021: An operation by the Hawks led to the discovery of 1 000kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R400 million, in black canvas bags placed inside a legitimate consignment of vehicle/truck parts.
• February 2022: A drug mule, Cavalcante Amarante was arrested at Cape Town International Airport about travelling from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Cape Town via Qatar airline. Cocaine weighing 2.7kg was concealed in her luggage and shoes.
• 4 August 2022: Three suspects are arrested after allegedly being caught trafficking 675kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of R403 million.They had concealed the drugs in false wooden boards, stacked at the back of a truck, when it was intercepted on the N1 towards Cape Town.

ALSO READ: R90 million worth of drugs destroyed in CT