The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has confiscated illegal goods valued at more than 3 billion rand 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.
Some of the busts included Cannabis Oil, seized at the Durban Harbour in January, and 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.
The revenue service has also confirmed it has successfully confiscated Rhino horns worth more than R20 million, over the past financial year. Shark fins and abalone have been among other seized goods.
SARS’ Sicelo Mkosi says the number of busts has increased to just over six-thousand from above four-thousand.
”Added to that, it was the 23 million of rhino horns that were intercepted en route to Dubai at O.R. Tambo International Airport as well. This has been quite encouraging, showing that our officers on the ground are not sitting on their laurels, they are putting out all stops on this illicit trade,” expressed Mkosi.
