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 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 this week.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) said that border guards stopped a truck travelling from Malawi into South Africa as part of a routine stop-and-search operation.
But the routine cargo scan quickly escalated into an eight-hour search of the vehicle, ultimately uncovering 713 000 grams of the controlled substance methaqualone, also known as ABBA.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) K-9 Unit and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), better known as the Hawks, were immediately called in to assist with processing the crime scene and to take over the formal investigation.
