SARS officials at the Johannesburg International Airport yesterday confiscated R 2 million’s worth of liquid cocaine.

The cocaine was discovered in wine bottles in two parcels, each one marked as a “gift” and wrapped in cheerful Christmas wrapping paper.

Customs officials inspected the two gift parcels en route to London as they had been profiled for examination at a well-known courier. The officials found the content of each parcel to be “two bottles of wine”, but the liquid inside the bottles seemed thicker than wine. Closer inspection showed tempering with the mouth of the bottle and cracks sealed with glue.

The liquid was consequently removed, tested and found to be cocaine.

In accordance with legal procedure, the cocaine, weighing 7 kg, was handed over to the Police for further investigation and possible arrest. (CAS 5/12/2015).

Supported by sophisticated technology and a word-class detector dog unit, SARS will continue to clamp down on smuggling across our borders of illegal substances and other unwanted goods. Custom’s capacity has also been increased to enhance border control over the festive season.