A female drug mule was arrested with cocaine wrapped around her body at OR Tambo International Airport, on Thursday.
Brazilian drug mule caught smuggling cocaine at OR Tambo airport
In a statement, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the woman, a Brazilian national, was marked for advanced inspection after landing at OR Tambo’s international arrivals at approximately 13:00 SAST.
The woman was travelling from Sao Paulo, a route notorious for carrying drug mules.
As she made her way through immigration, Border Management Authority officials pulled her into one of the airport’s search rooms and a basic pat-down turned up a crucial discovery.
Large cocaine bullets packaged in a plastic belt and wrapped around her torso were discovered with officials estimating their street value to be at R1.8 million.
“She faces a charge of drug trafficking and will appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate soon,” Mathe confirmed.
The woman’s arrest comes three days after BMA officials intercepted a 25-year-old Brazilian national carrying three kilograms of cocaine at the same airport.
Coincidentally, much like her female compatriot, the cocaine was packaged and wrapped around the drug mule’s torso.
“OR Tambo International Airport police continue to sniff out drug traffickers as they land sending out a strong message that SA is not a playground for drug peddlers,” Mathe warned.
South Africa’s role as a transit hub for international drug syndicates has expanded in recent years.
Cocaine is often trafficked from South America, with Brazil being a major departure point.
From there, it enters South Africa through major ports and airports like OR Tambo.
Once in the country, the drugs either move into the domestic market or transit to other regions, including Europe and Australia.
