The final product, ready to be distributed to the runners and sold.
Incidentally these are the 1.5gram bags, not the standard 0.5gram bags.

I realised that I had left a few important steps out of the images I uploaded, so apologies for that.
X cutting the Cocaine with Ritalin.
The ironic thing is that Ritalin is chemically similar to Cocaine, so it’s no wonder that kids who are given the drug act the way they do!

The final image I’ll be posting, the rest will turn into a long-term project.

The last part of the process is to seal the bag up, and this is done using a candle.
In all, the whole process from weighing to sealing takes 15-20 seconds.

Durban, like most coastal regions,has a high humidity factor. Often the humidity is around 70%, which plays an important role in the distribution of powdered based drugs.
The process adopted by X, which is pretty genius in my experience, is to cut circles out of plastic rubbish bags and then place 0.4grams into the bag, then seal it up with the help of the candle.
This way the coke is always kept dry and easily transported.

Working in an illegal market means you cannot have a usual bank account, as too many questions are asked when large amounts of cash are deposited into the account. With this in mind, proceeds from the week are stored under the bed where he sleeps.
There is no chance of this bank going bust and requiring government support.

As with most gang cultures around the world, tattoos play an important role. In the coloured gangs of Durban, they are often associated with the role the gang member has within the gang.
X’s body has multiple references to drugs and money. It reminded me of Russian prisoners who often depicted their crimes through the use of tattoos on their bodies. Tattoos in the Durban gangs are a mix of homemade (done whilst in incarceration) or professional.