Drug smugglers in Pakistan tried to use a South African High Commission official envelope to courier high-grade heroin to Johannesburg, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday.
Department spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said the High Commission in Islamabad was alerted to the failed attempt by the Pakistani Anti-Narcotic Force and the Federal Express (Fedex) courier company.
”The South African government condemns these attempts at misusing official government stationery for nefarious activities,” said Mamoepa.
”The government expresses its conviction that Pakistani authorities will leave no stone unturned to bring the suspects to face the full might of the Pakistani law.”
Pakistani authorities told the High Commission a person pretending to be a commission official went to the Fedex office in Islamabad on Saturday, wanting Fedex to deliver a package in an official commission envelope to a Johannesburg address.
”Fedex officials became suspicious when the suspect provided them with a false account number claiming to be that of the South African High Commission,” said Mamoepa.
”Upon questioning by Fedex officials, the suspect became evasive and immediately left the Fedex offices.”
Fedex investigated and found that the envelope contained high-grade heroin.
The Pakistani Anti-Narcotics Force was called and the High Commission was alerted.
Mamoepa said it was the first time he was aware of an attempt to smuggle drugs using South African government envelopes, either in Pakistan or other countries.
”We’ve got no such precedent.”
He wasn’t sure how the drug smuggler obtained the envelope and said that would form part of the Pakistani authorities’ investigation.
There is no South African investigation into how the envelope went missing or into the Johannesburg address.
”This is a criminal case so it is in the hands of the Pakistani authorities who are doing the investigating,” said Mamoepa.
He said the High Commission was being kept informed and would ”do everything in [its] power to assist the investigation”. — Sapa