By Rex Mphisa
THE South African National Defence Force (SANDF) says it has intercepted and “relieved” smugglers of R17 million contraband in its operation codename Corona.
This, said SANDF, was on its ongoing “Operation Corona” on the Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders.
“For their camouflage battledress colleagues deployed in the ongoing border protection tasking – Operation Corona – on the Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders it was a different picture with smugglers relieved of unspecified contraband valued at R17 million in February,” SANDF said on DefenceWeb, its media outlet.
It said the large chunk of the haul, handed to South African Police Service (Saps) and SA Revenue Service (SARS) officials, came from Botswana and the value was put at R10 873 000.
Mozambican smugglers had contraband worth R3.8 million confiscated with Zimbabweans losing R2.1 million worth of “stock” and Swazis R94 250.
“Soldiers “relieved” drug mules of R4.1 million worth of unspecified narcotics coming from Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in February, with Mozambicans attempting entry to South Africa via the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga borders.”
The SANDF operation also included livestock control with Lesotho, usually a top offender in the illegal grazing stakes, producing just a single offender almost matching “the success” achieved in preventing illegal movement of contraband.
“The Sotho temporarily lost stock valued at R36 800, which will be returned when a fine has been settled. Small livestock, generally goats and sheep, worth an estimated R103 200 and belonging to Zimbabwean pastoralists was impounded by soldiers in Limpopo,” said SANDF.
“Interceptions of illegal immigrants in February amounted to 604, less than the January figure when 907 Zimbabweans alone found themselves as “guests” of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). In this category, the 444 Zimbabweans intercepted on the Limpopo border were the most from a single country.”
The SANDF also said it put paid to vehicles worth an estimated R5.3 million illegally exiting South African en route to Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
They also apprehended 32 wanted criminals in February while busy border patrols saw soldiers seize nearly R17 million worth of contraband, apprehended over 1 000 illegal immigrants, detained 80 criminals, seized R2.5 million worth of drugs, and recovered R2.7 million worth of stolen vehicles. Other January successes included seizing R290 000 worth of boats, and R3.5 million worth of livestock, SANDF said.
“Deployments along the about 4 860 km of land border are executed by individual companies from mainly SA Army infantry and Reserve Force units, managed by provincial joint operations tactical headquarters. There are currently 15 companies, called “sub-units” by the Department of Defence (DoD)/SANDF, utilised for the border protection and sovereignty tasking.”
SANDF paid tribute to Saps ad Border Management Authority for also contributing to the success of bordsr opsrations.
“Men and women in National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola’s SA Police Service (SAPS) are, along with Commissioner Michael Masipato’ Border Management Authority (BMA), are contributing to the national border protection effort.”
“Police involvement, aimed at “dismantling” cross-border criminal networks, recently saw a strategic operation involving 15 Free State SAPS teams and units.”
Beyond arrests, the multi-disciplinary teams focused on tightening regulations and seizing illicit substances including “large quantities of crystal meth and Mandrax were removed from the streets” with over 147 litres of liquor confiscated from an unregistered dealer”.