The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has confiscated illegal goods valued at more than R3 billion at the country’s ports of entry in the past financial year.
The goods confiscated by Sars’ customs officials include narcotics, illegal cigarettes, abalone, as well as counterfeit clothing and footwear and viagra generics.
Compared with the same period during the previous financial year (April 2017 to March 2018), the number of busts has increased to 6 828 from 4 840, and the value of the busts has increased to R3 694 742 928 from R2 461 425 369.
Some of the busts included cannabis oil seized at the Durban Harbour in January, sexual enhancement tablets confiscated at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport in December last year and shark fins also seized at the airport in March this year.