The Border Management Authority (BMA) said 713 kilograms of methaqualone, a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of Mandrax, was seized at the Beitbridge Port of Entry in a haul with an estimated street value of nearly R1 billion.
South African border authorities have intercepted one of the country's largest drug consignments in recent memory, seizing approximately 713 kilograms of methaqualone, a precursor chemical used in the manufacture of Mandrax, at the Beitbridge Port of Entry in a haul with an estimated street value of nearly R1 billion.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) confirmed that border guards stopped a truck travelling from Malawi into South Africa on Tuesday during a routine stop and search operation.
What began as a standard cargo scan quickly escalated into an eight-hour physical search of the vehicle, ultimately uncovering 713 000 grams of the controlled substance methaqualone, also known as ABBA.
The interception was triggered after the truck was passed through a non-intrusive cargo scanner, which detected suspicious substances concealed in the load. Officials then conducted an extensive manual inspection of the vehicle, a painstaking process that stretched through the better part of the day before the full scale of the find became apparent.
