MEDIA STATEMENT

Pretoria, 13 July 2018 – The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released its latest statistics of Customs busts for the period 1 January 2018 until 30 June 2018. The total value of all goods confiscated amounts to R1 732 339 421.

Some of the statistics include:

• Narcotics: 339 busts valued at R171 177 653
• Cigarettes: 159 busts valued at R33 345 064
• CITES (including endangered species such as abalone): 16 busts valued at R13 996 635
• Currency: 13 busts valued at R52 903 426
• Viagra / Viagra Generics: 97 busts valued at R40 441 400
• Counterfeit clothing, footwear and other goods: 3351 busts valued at R1 414 740 024
• Clothing and Textiles (second hand and other infringements): 20 busts valued at R5 187 702
• Alcohol: 117 busts valued at R196 868 

Compared with the same period last year (Jan to June 2017), the number and value of busts has increased this year – 4 122 busts valued at R1 732 339 421 this year, compared to 1 763 busts valued at R1 648 779 675 last year.

Acting Chief Officer: Customs and Excise, Beyers Theron, congratulated his officers for the above successes. However, he added that he believed there was more that Customs and SARS could do to make inroads into the illicit economy. “We need to start looking at trends and patterns and becoming more strategic in the way we are dealing with some of these risks.”

Some of the high-profile busts which took place during the first six months of this year include the following:

• Ketamine and Methaqualone (precursors to mandrax) with an estimated value of R32 000 400, en route from Kenya to South Africa, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 10 April.
• Methaqualone with an estimated value of R30 000 000, en route from China to South Africa, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 31 January.
• Sexual Enhancement Tablets (Generic Viagra) valued at R30 000 000, en route from India to South Africa, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 13 May.
• Currency (USD & GBP) valued R15 000 000, en route from South Africa to Dubai, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 1 February.
• Abalone with an estimated value of R10 000 000, en route from South Africa to China, seized at Port Elizabeth Harbour on 26 January.
• Currency (ZAR & USD) valued R6 992 569, en route from South Africa to Mauritius, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 4 May.
• Currency (ZAR) valued R6 332 008.00, en route from South Africa to Dubai, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 27 March.
• Kamagra (Generic Viagra) valued at R4 000 000, en route from India to South Africa, seized at OR Tambo International Airport on 15 January.
• Abalone with an estimated value of R2 370 000, en route from South Africa to Sri Lanka via Dubai, seized at Durban Harbour on 21 February.
• 1 766 200 Cigarettes seized at Beit Bridge Border Post on 17 April.
• 500 000 Cigarettes seized at Beit Bridge Border Post on 27 April.