Customs seizes goods valued at R890m

The value of goods confiscated by customs officials in the past three months totalled R890.6m‚ the SA Revenue Service (Sars) said on Tuesday.

Counterfeit clothing‚ footwear and other goods – valued at R766.2m – made up the bulk of the goods confiscated over the three-month period from July to September.

The value of goods confiscated over the period was R135.7m higher than during the same period in 2017. The number of busts also increased from 1‚776 to 2‚499.

Some of the stats include:

● Narcotics: 152 busts valued at R38.7m;

● Cigarettes: 43 busts valued at R11.2m;

● CITES (including endangered species like perlemoen): 10 busts valued at R198‚355;

● Currency: Three busts valued at R18.7m;

● Viagra/Viagra generics: 20 busts valued at R4.8m;

● Counterfeit clothing‚ footwear and other goods: 417 busts valued at R766.2m; ● Clothing and textiles (second-hand and other infringements): 118 busts valued at R1.2m; and

● Alcohol: 96 busts valued at R1.85m.

Some high-profile busts during the period included:

● Cocaine‚ worth about R4.8m‚ en route from SA to the UK‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on July 31;

● Heroin‚ with an estimated value of R4.4m‚ en route from Mozambique to SA‚ was seized at the Lebombo border post on August 20;

● Ephedrine‚ with an estimated value of R4.5m‚ en route from India via Dubai to SA‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 24;

● Perlemoen‚ valued at about R180‚000‚ en route from SA to Hong Kong‚ was seized at OR Tambo International Airport on August 16; and

● US dollars‚ equivalent to R9.2m‚ en route from Mozambique via SA to Dubai‚ was seized at OR Tambo International on July 30.