Hot on the heels of putting a hi-tech surveillance aircraft in the sky to bolster the fight against crime, law enforcement authorities in Cape Town have unveiled a new “weapon” against poachers and drug smugglers off the coast.
The city has taken delivery of a high-powered marine patrol vessel with enhanced electronics, long-range zoom cameras and thermal imaging.
“We have seen in recent times an escalation in the extent of poaching and the equipment the poachers have available to them. We have seen the lifting of the lid on the challenges that are arising with international, especially South American, cartels starting to do large heroin and cocaine shipments though our coast,” said safety and security MMC JP Smith.
“Now you can't run. You can't hide,” he said.
The patrol vessel is larger than a previous one deployed by the city. “That means we have a lot more power, greater speed, greater stability and significantly enhanced electronic systems such as the radar and camera equipment.
“This will help us in ensuring we do our part as the city to support SAPS, SANParks and others in keeping our coastline safe and pushing back against the attempts of particularly international cartels to work with the local gangs in shipping drugs onto our shores and harming our communities,” he added.
Smith referred to recent reports about a local fishing boat being lost at sea with the crew missing. “Trying to assist, we sent our eye-in-the-sky out, but could find no trace,” he said.
“What has now apparently happened — all the crew has been accounted for and the boat hadn't really sunk. Instead it was a cover up, of where the boat had to instead pick up a large cocaine shipment. Known as the Southern route, cartels use passing container ships to drop off large drug shipments, left floating in barrels and with the GPS pin then sent to local gangs.”
However, the drug deal apparently went sour after the shipment of 500kg or more went missing. An overseas drug cartel then allegedly kidnapped two men linked to an underworld gang in Cape Town.
“The cartels are now demanding their shipment is returned, or to pay a ransom of R50m,” said Smith.
TimesLIVE
'You can't hide': City unveils marine patrol vessel to fight poachers, drug smugglers
Image: JP Smith/Facebook
Hot on the heels of putting a hi-tech surveillance aircraft in the sky to bolster the fight against crime, law enforcement authorities in Cape Town have unveiled a new “weapon” against poachers and drug smugglers off the coast.
The city has taken delivery of a high-powered marine patrol vessel with enhanced electronics, long-range zoom cameras and thermal imaging.
“We have seen in recent times an escalation in the extent of poaching and the equipment the poachers have available to them. We have seen the lifting of the lid on the challenges that are arising with international, especially South American, cartels starting to do large heroin and cocaine shipments though our coast,” said safety and security MMC JP Smith.
“Now you can't run. You can't hide,” he said.
The patrol vessel is larger than a previous one deployed by the city. “That means we have a lot more power, greater speed, greater stability and significantly enhanced electronic systems such as the radar and camera equipment.
“This will help us in ensuring we do our part as the city to support SAPS, SANParks and others in keeping our coastline safe and pushing back against the attempts of particularly international cartels to work with the local gangs in shipping drugs onto our shores and harming our communities,” he added.
Smith referred to recent reports about a local fishing boat being lost at sea with the crew missing. “Trying to assist, we sent our eye-in-the-sky out, but could find no trace,” he said.
“What has now apparently happened — all the crew has been accounted for and the boat hadn't really sunk. Instead it was a cover up, of where the boat had to instead pick up a large cocaine shipment. Known as the Southern route, cartels use passing container ships to drop off large drug shipments, left floating in barrels and with the GPS pin then sent to local gangs.”
However, the drug deal apparently went sour after the shipment of 500kg or more went missing. An overseas drug cartel then allegedly kidnapped two men linked to an underworld gang in Cape Town.
“The cartels are now demanding their shipment is returned, or to pay a ransom of R50m,” said Smith.
TimesLIVE
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