"A review of measures to combat illicit drug trafficking and trade : a domestic maritime perspective"

Abstract

From a survey of media reports and other documentary sources, illicit drug trafficking and trade seems to be a prevalent problem in South Africa today. Drugs are being shipped undetected in containers, which poses a significant threat to maritime security. The drug trade is also having a negative impact upon one of South Africa's valuable resources, abalone. It appears that there is a substantial nexus between the poaching of abalone and the illicit drug trade in South Africa. Abalone is considered to be a delicacy in the East and research shows that a substantial amount of drugs in South Africa has originated from the illicit trade of abalone. v This dissertation will examine illicit drug trafficking and trade with particular reference to the maritime industry which facilitates this illicit trafficking and trade through ineffective security measures governing containerisation; and also through the abalone trade. A survey of media reports, articles, reviews, Institute for Security Studies papers, books and the World Drug Report 2012 set the scene of illicit drug trafficking and trade in South Africa as being prevalent and damaging to the country's security measures. A review of South Africa's domestic legislation and the international conventions to which it is party is necessary to determine whether the law governing illicit drug trafficking and trade is adequate to address the issues highlighted above. The focus of this dissertation will then shift to wards the issues surrounding implementation and enforcement of these laws. The enforcement and implementation of the law seems tainted by corruption, lack of skills and morale and inexperience and therefore these issues need to be addressed in order to fully combat illicit drug trafficking and trade in South Africa's maritime industry.