South African Police Seize US$2.1 Million Worth of Cocaine Hidden in Excavators from Brazil
A multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation at Durban Harbour intercepted 90 kilograms of cocaine smuggled inside imported heavy machinery shipped from Brazil.
Delicious Mathuthu 
Durban - A high-level multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation has intercepted a massive consignment of suspected cocaine worth an estimated 36 million rands (US$2.1 million) hidden inside imported industrial machinery at the Durban Harbour in South Africa.
The seizure, executed on 6 June 2026, was carried out by the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) alongside officials from the Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, Customs, Durban Visible Policing Operations and the Local Criminal Record Centre.
The transnational smuggling attempt was detected after a South African customs official noticed anomalies inside a heavy excavator that had arrived at the Q and R Car Terminal.
Authorities say the machinery had been transported aboard the cargo vessel Neptune Ace Tokyo, which originated from the port city of Santos in Brazil, a wellknown global transit hub for South American narcotics syndicates.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) say Hawks detectives deployed to the scene conducted a physical dismantling of the excavator, uncovering a hidden compartment built into a panel leading directly to the engine bay.
A search of the compartment found 47 compressed blocks of a white powdered substance, later found to be cocaine.
While forensic teams were processing the initial discovery, customs officials flagged a second excavator that had already been offloaded from the same vessel.
A secondary search of that vehicle exposed an additional 43 concealed blocks of the illicit cargo.
In total, authorities recovered 90 kilograms of high-grade cocaine.
Current regional illicit wholesale values the discovered drugs at approximately R400,000 per kilogram, the combined shipment carries a projected domestic street value of R36 million.
National police spokespersons confirmed that no suspects have been detained in connection with the shipment so far.
SAPS say the seized narcotics have been transferred under heavy security to the Forensic Science Laboratory for definitive chemical analysis, while international tracking remains underway to identify the intended local recipients.
The acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Brigadier Zenobia Mulligan, praised the rapid intervention of the border control teams, noting that the bust strikes a blow against syndicate operations exploiting maritime trade routes.
"The DPCI remains committed to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and safeguarding South Africa’s ports of entry from organised criminal activities even when their integrity is under scrutiny," Brigadier Mulligan stated.
"The DPCI will continue executing their mandate without fear or favour," Mulligan added.
