Goods worth R890.6m confiscated by customs in past three months

The value of goods confiscated by customs officials in the past three months totalled R890.6m‚ the South African Revenue Service (Sars) revealed on Tuesday.

Counterfeit clothing‚ footwear and other goods – valued at R766.2m – made up the bulk of the goods confiscated over the three-month period from July to September.

The value of goods confiscated over the period was R135.7m higher than that confiscated during the same period last year. The number of busts also increased from 1‚776 to 2‚499.

Some of the statistics include:

•  Narcotics: 152 busts valued at R38.7m
•  Cigarettes: 43 busts valued at R11.2m
•  CITES (including endangered species such as abalone): 10 busts valued at R198‚355
•  Currency: 3 busts valued at R18.7m
•  Viagra/Viagra generics: 20 busts valued at R4.8m 
•  Counterfeit clothing‚ footwear and other goods: 417 busts valued at R766.2m 
•  Clothing and Textiles (second hand and other infringements): 118 busts valued at R1.2m
•  Alcohol: 96 busts valued at R1.85m

Some of the high-profile busts that took place during the three-month period included the following:

• Cocaine‚ with an estimated value of R4.8m‚ en route from SA to UK‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on July 31. 
• Heroin‚ with an estimated value of R4.4m‚ en route from Mozambique to SA‚ was seized at the Lebombo border post on August 20. 
• Ephedrine‚ with an estimated value of R4.5m‚ en route from India via Dubai to SA‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 24. 
• Sexual enhancement tablets (generic Viagra) valued at R300‚000‚ en route from Dubai to SA‚ were seized at OR Tambo International Airport on July 25. 
• Sexual enhancement tablets (generic Viagra) valued at R2m‚ en route from Ethiopia to SA‚ were seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August.6. 
• Sexual enhancement tablets (generic Viagra) valued at R2.48m‚ en route from Hong Kong to SA‚ were seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 31. 
• Abalone‚ with an estimated value of R180‚000‚ en route from SA Africa to Hong Kong‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 16.
• Currency (USD)‚ equivalent to R9.2m‚ en route from Mozambique via SA to Dubai‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on July 30.
• Currency (USD)‚ valued R9.46M‚ en route from SA to Hong Kong‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on September 11.
• Rhodium‚ valued at R3.26m‚ en route from SA to France‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 28.
• 799‚400 cigarettes were seized at the Beit Bridge border post on July 21.
• 1 million cigarettes were seized at Upington on July 27.