Liquid methamphetamine worth R37.6-million seized at OR Tambo

25 August 2015 - 15:52 By RDM News Wire

A baggage of 125.4kg of liquid methamphetamine with a street value of R37.6-million seized by South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs officers at OR Tambo. South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs officers at OR Tambo International Airport made significant busts as part of intensive weekend and daily operations over the past few months‚ with the biggest bust thus far this week‚ being a baggage of 125.4kg of liquid methamphetamine with a street value of R37.6-million.This bust took place on Monday night.SARS spokesman Luther Lebelo said a baggage handler pushing a trolley with nine unclaimed bags had been asked to stop and have the bags scanned in the customs area. “This led to the discovery of nine green canisters containing a liquid substance.“A SARS customs detector dog reaction indicated the possibility of narcotics‚ which a subsequent drug test confirmed to be methamphetamine in a liquid form. The liquid methamphetamine was handed over to South African Police Service (SAPS) organised crime unit for further investigation.”Liquid methamphetamine is meth soaked in acetone or gasoline and is transformed by drug labs or by users themselves into crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth).Other major busts conducted on Monday‚ involved the confiscation of 60‚000 Viagra tablets‚ worth a street value of R6-million‚ at the OR Tambo Airport Mail Centre. The latter was imported without the requisite regulatory control and was therefore liable for seizure.A search of a backpack of a passenger in transit from Sao Paulo to Lagos resulted in the discovery of two foil wrapped containing a white substance. A customs detector dog reaction indicated the possibility of narcotics. The substance tested positive for cocaine‚ which weighed 3.46kg with a total value of R993‚020.Over the weekend‚ during a patrol on Sunday of the international cargo area‚ customs officers inspected boxes being loaded onto a bakkie. The inspection revealed 65 packages (14kg) of crystal meth with a street value of R4.2-million. The case has been handed over to SAPS for further investigation.Also on Sunday‚ 27 cargo pieces from Hong Kong were inspected and found to contain 2‚000 pairs of Nike sneakers and 1‚700 pairs of Timberland boots‚ suspected of being counterfeit. The total value of the goods was R7.2-million.“Another shipment from Hong Kong was inspected at the SAA cargo shed and 220 Diesel jeans – suspected to be counterfeit – were discovered in three boxes. The jeans – valued at more than R300‚000 – were also handed over to the counterfeit investigation team for further inspection.”On Saturday‚ customs officers performing an inspection at SAA cargo shed discovered 6‚000 pairs of Nike sneakers and 6‚200 pairs of Converse sneakers which had arrived from Hong Kong. The shoes‚ valued at R7.25-million‚ were detained for further investigation.On Friday 1kg of heroin was discovered at the mail centre in two parcels destined from South Africa to Spain and Ireland respectively. The total value of the heroin was R201‚810. On the same day‚ a further parcel was seized at the centre which containing 2kg of Cannabis.“These are major seizures by SARS Customs who implement daily inspections at all ports of entry‚ as part of its mandate to protect the borders of South Africa‚ in an effort to foil the smuggling of prohibited goods.“SARS continues to work with other law enforcement agencies to protect the country and its citizens by disrupting organised crime and reducing illicit trade activities‚” said Lebelo...

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