[imagesource: Facebook / South African Police Service]

In early March, police intercepted a fishing vessel off the coast of Saldanha, seizing a massive cocaine haul estimated to be worth around R580 million.

The cocaine bust had an added layer of intrigue in that the drugs were clearly branded with the words ‘King Coca’.

During the operation, four Bulgarian nationals and six Myanmar nationals were arrested, although charges against one of the Bulgarian men, and all six Myanmar nationals, who were acting only as crew members, have been withdrawn.

Some former members of the 28s gang said at the time that the bust may have been a diversion, with larger hauls going through undetected at other ports, but police still deserve credit for making the arrests.

News24 reports that the remaining three Bulgarian men have now been sentenced to a collective 60 years imprisonment

The three men also had assets worth R46.5m forfeited to the state…

[National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila] said “the Bulgarians had two luxury SUVs which they bought while in the country. All the vehicles, the Windward and two other vessels were seized and forfeited to the state following a successful order applied for by the Asset Forfeiture Unit.”

Image: SAPS

The accused, Mario Radoslavov Vasev, Asen Georgiev and Atanas Mihaylov Bikov were found guilty of drug dealing and entering South Africa illegally using fake documents.

Vasev received 25 years, as did Ivanov, whilst Bikov received 10 years “wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted for dealing in drugs”.

State prosecutor, advocate Aradhana Heeramun, said: “This is the second largest cocaine seizure in South Africa. It is a clear example of an international organised crime syndicate in operation. The illegal trade in narcotics is a prevalent and serious offence. It has ties to gangsterism and other crime and therefore has a huge negative effect on social economic circumstances of communities as a whole.”

That will put a spanner in your smuggling plans.

There was a drug bust worth around R5,5 million in Namaqualand, also along the West Coast, two weeks back, but no connection to the massive bust in March has been established.

[source:news24]