transporter

There was pressure to obtain a container by a certain date, with people assisting at the Port of Durban to release the container and its contents, despite no recorded out movement at court at the time.

“This user makes mention of heat that is coming, which suggests that there was pressure to obtain what was in the container. And again, the conversations, it is clear that the user had people who are sitting at the Port of Durban who were assisting to get the container and these contents released. The container was due to be picked up upon the 2021-05-1, as per the message of the unidentified user mentioning transporter is booked for tomorrow.”

Advocate Ramkalawan advised that at the early stage of the investigation, the listed entities including the transporter, clearing, and forwarding agents should be viewed as suspects and statements should not be obtained prematurely.

“At that stage, according to her or the DPP's office, we should view them as suspects until we can with certainty say that they are not. So at that stage, she thought it was premature to obtain statements from these entities.”

Captain Duma indicated he had spoken to the transporter and clearing agent regarding the container.

“And Captain Duma further indicated that he had spoken to the transporter and the clearing agent.”

Colonel Jacob obtained statements from the transporter, clearing agent, and consignee during the investigation; none expressed dissatisfaction with the container being opened.

“During the course of this investigation, I eventually obtained statements from the transporter, the clearing agent, the consignee, all of them... none expressed any dissatisfaction with the container being opened at no stage.”

Lt-Col Duma gathered intelligence about a consignment of drugs at a private depot in Durban, contacting the depot manager for permission to inspect container BEAU595535 placed for inspection on 2026-06-22.

“I was holding the rank of a Captain working at Security Intelligence in Border Security Durban. During the performance of my duties, I gained intelligence about consignment of drugs in one of the depots... I informed the manager that I had received the permission from transporter and clearing and forwarding agents to have container number BEAU595535, placed for inspection, and to be inspected by members of the SAPS on 2026-06-22... The container was secured by the depot manager of our assembly and operational team.”

Lt-Col Duma explained the operational process of tracing a container upon receiving its number, contacting the transporter, clearing and forwarding agent and ultimately the depot manager to get permission for inspection, stressing the need to protect sensitive information to avoid compromising consignments.

“after gathering information and getting a container number, the first thing when you get a container number you need to contact ORS to try and trace where the container is exactly... I spoke to the transporter and I spoke to the clearing forwarding agent and they referred me to the depot manager. And then I contacted the depot manager. I spoke to her... I just mentioned that it is a container of interest... We just want to check the commodity... I did that to protect the information so that it does not leak that, you know, we lose the consignment.”

Lt-Col Duma confirmed the telephone call for permission to inspect the container was made to the transporter but does not recall with whom exactly he spoke.

“the telephone call, who did you speak to... from the transporter? Yes, from the transporter to get permission. That is what I am saying... I do not remember.”

A container with goods including bone meal was supposed to be cleared by a clearing agent and transporter from a bonded area and driven out; the goods were detained due to association with other counterfeit goods from the same shipper.

“they would have to have driven it out. So someone would have to have cleared it from the bonded area, loaded it in a truck, and driven it out. So we are looking at a clearing agent and a transporter.”

To intercept drugs undetected, the drugs would have to be taken before entering CHC, possibly when offloading the vessel, during container stacking at Piers, en route to packing areas or on the road; suspects could include stevedores, transporters, Customs, and police.

“They would have taken it before it got into CHC. ... So it could have been when it came off the vessel and put into the container stack alongside Pier 1, Pier 2 or New Pier. It could have been en route from New Pier to the packing area and it could have been on the road. So again, stevedores, transporter, Customs, police.”