DURBAN – Police discovered cocaine worth R80 million hidden in a shipping container at Durban Harbour on Saturday, following a surveillance operation that tracked the vessel from Brazil.

The drugs, disguised as kidney beans, were uncovered after authorities moved the suspicious container to a warehouse in Bluff for detailed inspection, according to police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda.

“Police received information about a vessel that left Brazil at the beginning of November that was said to be carrying cocaine,” Netshiunda said. The shipping documents indicated the cargo was destined for Johannesburg.

Law enforcement monitored the vessel’s journey via an intermediary country before it docked in Durban. A subsequent search revealed eight bags of crushed pure cocaine.

The seizure marks one of South Africa’s largest drug busts this year, highlighting ongoing concerns about international drug trafficking through the country’s ports.

Police have launched an investigation to identify those behind the smuggling operation, though no arrests have been made yet.

The discovery comes amid increased scrutiny of maritime shipping routes used by drug cartels to move narcotics between South America and Southern Africa.