Pretoria:The Border Management Authority (BMA) has successfully intercepted significant quantities of suspected illicit drugs and smuggled tobacco products on key routes and at ports of entry.

According to South African Government News Agency, the BMA reported that nearly one tonne of suspected dagga was seized last Friday during an operation at the Baobab Toll Plaza in Limpopo. The operation took place approximately 51 kilometers from the Beitbridge Port of Entry. Officials stopped a vehicle occupied by two Tanzanian nationals who claimed they did not have the keys to the padlock on the vehicle's canopy. The vehicle was escorted to Beitbridge Port of Entry, where BMA and SAPS officials discovered 33 bags containing suspected dagga, weighing about 991.5 kilograms. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately R1.5 million, and the two men were arrested.

In a separate operation, a truck carrying suspected illicit tobacco worth nearly R2 million was intercepted near the Kosi Bay Port of Entry. Officials stopped a truck with Mozambican registration plates and found 150 master cases of flavored hookah tobacco and 50 bags of chewing tobacco hidden beneath beans. The driver, a Mozambican national, stated the consignment was destined for Durban. The consignment, suspected to have been smuggled from India through Mozambique, was booked at Manguzi SAPS for further investigation.

Last Sunday, at OR Tambo International Airport, a 52-year-old South African national was arrested, and substances suspected to be heroin worth more than R2 million were seized. The man, arriving from Ghana, had bullet-like objects and blocks with suspected heroin in his luggage. He is expected to appear in court for drug trafficking charges. This incident marks the third arrest of a suspected drug mule at the airport in three weeks.

BMA Commissioner Dr. Michael Masiapato praised the efforts of officials and law enforcement partners, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration to disrupt illicit goods movement and enhance border security. The BMA remains committed to working with SAPS and other partners to prevent prohibited goods from entering or transiting through the country.