A South African Revenue Services (SARS) narcotics operation caught a drugs consignment estimated to be R65 million from a vessel at the Durban Harbour. The SARS Durban Customs office confiscated about 30 bricks of suspected narcotics in a collaborative intelligence operation at the Durban Harbour in the early hours of yesterday morning (October 12). According to SARS, the suspected narcotics were in the Reefer Refrigeration Unit of a vessel.
“On Monday at approximately 02:45, the Durban Customs Enforcement Team launched the Customs Marine Unit Patrol Vessel – Striker to go and intercept the motor vessel near the Fairway Bouy at Outer Anchorage about four nautical miles off the East Coast of Durban. The enforcement team intercepted the vessel as it entered the port and escorted it to its berth. The team then boarded the vessel, interviewed the Master of the vessel, and examined documentation to identify the location of a profiled container. “The vessel was rummaged by the enforcement team and the container was located on the vessel where the Refrigeration Unit was examined. This resulted in one positive detection of bricks of suspected narcotics,” shared SARS Customs.
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter expressed his gratitude to the SARS Customs and other law enforcement agencies for their salutary work. He said, “Customs demonstrated its gallantry by working so hard and focused at the death of the night to intercept this vessel. 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.”
Durban is an unfortunate transit point for drug smuggling due to its position on the east coast. It is good news that the SARS Durban Customs Office was able to nip this drug smuggling operation in the bud. The drug bust is a swift blow to organized crime on the illegal market. It goes to show that the coast guard authorities are growing more vigilant as regards to who uses the sea for access to smuggling. It could also raise the matter of how advance technology can be used to accelerate and enhance investigative techniques. In terms of the Fourth Industrial Technology (4IR) this could include GPS and satellite tracking through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The SARS investigation was by itself an impressive form of police work.
SARS Commissioner Kieswetter is right to express his gratitude. A network of drug smugglers, gang leaders and their associates will be uncovered through this investigation. The interception of the narcotics vessel in the dead of night is a prime example of the vigilance that should be the hall mark of the police. Legally SARS as a branch of law enforcement can be a safeguard for customs alongside the police, navy and army.
In other news the proposal of a high-speed rail way link that goes back fifteen years after it was proposed between Johannesburg and Durban has come to the forefront.
Fifteen years after it was first proposed, the long-awaited high-speed rail link between Joburg and Durban is back in the spotlight. Speaking at the launch of eThekwini’s new Public Transport Information Centre this week, Mayor Cyril Xaba urged government departments and financial institutions to finally act on the ambitious plan. “If we succeed, it means that the city of Durban succeeds as well,” he added, noting that easier travel between the two cities would boost tourism, trade, and local economies. The mayor believes the rail link could transform regional connectivity – making weekend commutes and domestic tourism between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng faster and more accessible. “People who work in Joburg could spend their weekends in Durban and invest back into their communities,” Xaba added.
The ANC’s eThekwini region has thrown its weight behind the proposal, describing it as a “transformative initiative” with the potential to stimulate growth, create jobs, and enhance mobility for thousands of South Africans.
This rail link is a new innovation to connect Durban and eThekwini region to Johannesburg. The question remains though, “how much will it cost?” and “who will benefit from it?” The launch of the new Public Transport Information Centre in eThekwini by the mayor shows that the municipality is taking a greater interest in the progress of transport. It is good that tourism, trade and the local economies of both cities will be bolstered by the railway. A highspeed railway between a coastal port such as Durban and the industrial hub of Johannesburg will go a long way in improving transportation between the two major cities. Communication between Johannesburg and Durban will also improve. The new high speed rail way will prove to be a nerve line running between the two cities.
The purpose of this rail way line which was long overdue is two stimulate industrialization and economic growth. This high-speed train will no doubt be an electric train. Whether it will run on coal or solar powered electricity is another issue. The advancement of cutting-edge technology will determine the future. Be it investigation into organized crime or transport.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
