Masemola said it was encouraging that 15,400 suspects had been arrested for being in possession of drugs, through Operation Shanela. Another 7,000 were arrested for dealing in drugs.
Cape Town businessman Ebrahim Kara, the third accused in the bust where 672 bricks of cocaine were found concealed inside pine sheets, was sentenced after being arrested in 2022 alongside two others in Cape Town.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation says tackling drugs, gangsterism and associated criminal activities remains a priority for the government.