Police confiscate 80 kilos of cocaine worth R20 million in Gauteng

The South African Police Service (SAPS) seized 80 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately R20 million from a smallholding on Tuesday evening.

SAPS national spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said that “a 56-year-old man who is believed to be the owner of the plot has been arrested, and the cocaine has been seized.”

The operation was led by Gauteng’s Crime Intelligence Head Office and included the province’s Organised Crime Unit, SAPS JHB K9, and members of the Local Criminal Record Centre.

Authorities were following up on intelligence that drugs were being stored at a plot in Blue Hills, Midrand.

A further investigation found that the drugs were brought into South Africa from a neighbouring country and were destined for Cape Town.

According to Mathe, once police had acquired a search warrant, they “pounced on the plot.”

SAPS said the cocaine was found hidden in a storage room on the identified plot and wrapped in “Hermès Paris” labels.

“The suspect is expected to appear before the Midrand Magistrate’s Court later this week on possible charges of possession of drugs as well as dealing in drugs,” Mathe said.

Mathe told members of the media that police are currently investigating whether the suspect is part of a syndicate “as these criminal networks tend to target farms, plots, and small holdings.”

“We’ve noticed a trend where these syndicates either buy or rent and start erecting these drug labs to manufacture and distribute the drugs,” she added.

DA MP and chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police commended SAPS on the operation, saying that it is “a clear example of what competent policing can achieve.”

“The Midrand cocaine bust shows what is possible when police act with skill, commitment, and accountability. South Africans deserve this standard everywhere, and it must start with leadership.”

Seizures at points of entry

This is one of the biggest drug busts this year in terms of estimated value, with several of the more notable seizures taking place at ports of entry.

In mid-October, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) revealed that it had seized 30 bricks of cocaine with an estimated street value of R65 million from a vessel in Durban Harbour.

SARS said that the Durban Customs Enforcement Team boarded the vessel based on intelligence that it was carrying cocaine.

After interviewing the master and rummaging the ship, authorities eventually identified the profiled container and inspected its refrigeration unit, where they found 30 bricks of cocaine.

In late July, police searched a 25-year-old Brazilian man who was arriving on a flight from São Paulo via Doha.

His luggage contained 10 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated R4.2 million. The cocaine was hidden in bullet casings.

A few months earlier, a 39-year-old man was arrested upon arrival from São Paulo at OR Tambo International Airport, en route to Benin.

After being searched, the man was found to have R1.4 million worth of cocaine strapped to his legs.

Following the arrest, SAPS revealed that 23,306 suspects had been detained for possession of drugs at the airport between January and March 2025.

Increased drug usage in South Africa

According to a 2024 study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, drug usage in South Africa increased from 1.5% in 2002 to 10% by 2017.

The study was based on roughly 89,000 door-to-door interviews conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council throughout the period. Representative samples were used.

It found that while marijuana made up most of the illicit drug use over the 15 years, South Africans also began consuming more hard drugs.

For instance, cocaine usage was 88 times higher in 2017 (1.8%) than it was in 2002 (0.02%). Similarly, the use of opioids such as heroin or codeine had increased 161-fold.

The study found that this trend was prevalent across all racial and socioeconomic groups. However, people from Cape Coloured backgrounds were the most affected by the surge in usage.