Recent massive cocaine busts are a symptom of creeping corruption and inefficiency in government, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
Last week, police seized a ton of the drug upon arrival from Brazil.
The same cartel has been linked to at least four other shipments in South Africa and Australia.
At the bust in Aeroton last month, authorities arrested several of their own, in state-owned vehicles – who were trying to remove the cocaine from the cargo container.
Sources say the cops are probably on the cartel’s payroll.
The Hawks have identified Ahmed Isa as their prime suspect.
Very little is known about the Arab-Israeli, except he was last seen in Cape Town, and has been linked to recent busts in Isipingo, and on the N1 near Pretoria.
While the Hawks are tight-lipped on the details of their investigation, it does appear they are on the trail of a major, global drug smuggling network.