Tried and busted: Brazil’s cocaine traffickers still targeting Durban harbour despite Madlanga focus
Traffickers in Brazil have again tried to smuggle cocaine into South Africa via Durban harbour – but Brazilian authorities intercepted the nearly 100kg consignment before it could leave. Meanwhile, a suspect has appeared in a local court over a R200m cocaine consignment from Brazil that went missing from a KwaZulu-Natal Hawks building.
In recent news, Brazilian authorities have intercepted a nearly 100kg cocaine shipment bound for South Africa at the Port of Paranaguá. The drug was concealed within sealed metal cylinders inside a shipping container at a private terminal, according to the Federal Revenue Service. This was the second recent seizure at Paranaguá, as on August 27, Brazilian police uncovered a 33kg cocaine consignment hidden in a shipping container at the port, which was also intended for Africa but without specifying the exact destination.
The Madlanga Commission, probing allegations of a drug cartel infiltrating South Africa's criminal justice system and political sphere, has repeatedly heard evidence of Durban's role in high-level cocaine trafficking. The commission revealed that the Big Five drug gang brought drugs from South America, often via Durban, and transported them to Gauteng for distribution locally and internationally.
Tumelo Nku testified about a R286-million cocaine consignment intercepted in Aeroton, Johannesburg, in July 2021, orchestrated by a trafficker known as "Eby" to sabotage a rival dealer. The commission's focus on Durban's operations has not stopped traffickers, and fresh intelligence from Brazil highlights key figures behind supply lines targeting South Africa.
High-ranking member of Brazil's notorious PCC gang, Willian Barile Agati, remains in custody on drug trafficking charges and is suspected of laundering millions of dollars using private aircraft and sea vessels. Authorities believe he served as a crucial link between the PCC and Italy's powerful 'Ndrangheta mafia group for managing global supply routes.
The US Department of the Treasury recently sanctioned two individuals and three companies linked to the PCC, warning of its expansion globally, including presence in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Japan.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
