R13 million cocaine bust at Durban harbour: Drugs hidden in shipped buses. Image: SAPS
KwaZulu-Natal
1Min
South Africa
KZN police uncover R13 million cocaine hidden in buses at Durban harbour
Police have intercepted cocaine worth R13 million hidden inside imported buses at Durban Harbour, with investigations now underway to track down those behind the shipment.
KwaZulu-Natal police have seized cocaine with an estimated street value of R13 million at Durban Harbour, in what is believed to be part of a broader international drug trafficking operation.
The bust took place on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, following intelligence that linked the shipment to a previous drug recovery in Gauteng in April. Acting on this information, officers from the Durban Operational Response Services (ORS) and the Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) unit profiled and targeted vessels arriving from South America.
During the operation, authorities uncovered 32 blocks of suspected cocaine concealed inside the air-conditioning compartment of a bus. The buses had been shipped from a South American country and were reportedly destined for Gauteng.
Police confirmed that the drugs entered the country through Durban Harbour and that intelligence-driven operations played a key role in the interception.
“No arrests have been made at this stage. Investigations are ongoing to identify those responsible for the shipment as well as the intended recipients,” police said.
