A big drug cartel in South Africa has been busted by security operatives in the course of a discreet transportation of contraband substances.
Some of the narcotics concealed as cosmetics
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has made their biggest cocaine bust at the Oliver Tambo International Airport on Saturday, February 18, 2017.
In a statement released, the customs officials revealed that it was their biggest cocaine bust in the history of their operations.
It marks the biggest ever cocaine bust by Customs officials in South Africa. The narcotics, en route from Sao Paulo to Nairobi, Kenya, were found in a cargo warehouse during routine operations.
The specific shipment indicated as ‘cosmetics’ on official documentation, was identified for closer inspection through Customs profiling techniques, SARS narrated.
They were said to have conducted a drug test on a number of randomly selected containers after narcotic detector dogs reacted positively to the cargo.
271kg cocaine estimated to worth around R78 million (N1.9B) were found packed in hair products.
The drugs have been handed over to the police for further investigation.