Contraband and drugs valued at more than R5 million topped the October list of confiscations by SA Army soldiers patrolling South Africa’s land borders.
The ongoing border protection tasking – Operation Corona – also saw soldiers from both the regulars and reserves prevent the illegal export of vehicles said to be worth R8.5 million to four neighbouring countries. Mozambique and Eswatini, as per figures supplied by the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC), were the most “popular” destinations for South African owned vehicles stolen for either chop shops or further export. Together these two eastern neighbours of South Africa accounted for – value-wise, as no specific vehicle numbers are provided by the Joint Operations Division – R5 million plus of the more than R8.5 million total.
Drugs, again not specified with dagga the most commonly smuggled drug into South Africa, worth over R1.9 million were taken from Basotho, Mozambican and Swazi smugglers.
October’s contraband haul for Op Corona soldiers was R3.3 million – more or less in line with what was taken from smugglers in September. Mozambicans were again the biggest offenders losing R2.9 million worth of contraband in October.
The flow of illegal immigrants continues although less at 146 than in September. Seventy Mozambicans were the largest single nationality handed to police and Department of Home Affairs (DHA) officials in October. Sixteen Basotho, eight Namibians and five either Mozambicans or Swazis were intercepted by soldiers on the KwaZulu-Natal borders with Mozambique or landlocked Eswatini as Joint Ops lists these two countries as one for record purposes.
Livestock, in the classifications “cattle” and “small” denoting goats and sheep, with an estimated value of R1.2 million was impounded in the vicinity of South Africa’s land borders with Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and Namibia. When found on South African pastureland soldiers, assisted by police, round up the livestock, herding it to pounds (normally at police stations) with owners able to reclaim their cattle, goats and sheep on payment of an – at this time – unknown fine.
Soldiers were also proactive when on the lookout for offenders on the SA Police Service (SAPS) wanted list. Eight were intercepted along the Free State/Lesotho and Mpumalanga/Mozambique borders ahead of being taken into custody. A total of 16 criminals were apprehended by soldiers in October.
