Members of the SAPS arrested four drug mules at the O R Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) over the past five days.
Yesterday morning, members from our Interpol office arrested an Angolan national woman in possession of cocaine to the value of over R2.5million.
The detection of this woman emerged from consultation with our SAPS liaison officer in Sao Paolo who provided us with information that a woman may be passing through ORTIA with a consignment of drugs. This consignment was destined for one of our neighboring countries. The cocaine is still in its uncut form and once processed it is likely to cost twice its current value. The woman tried to conceal the drugs by wrapping them in material she thought would be undetectable and tried to conceal it further by hiding it in her underwear and around her waist.
The first arrest took place on Wednesday, 18 January 2012 - a Peruvian National was found in possession of cocaine to the value of R145 000. The suspect arrived from Sao Paulo and a profile of him led police to suspect that he may have swallowed foreign objects. He was taken to a hospital where x-rays revealed that he had indeed swallowed foreign objects which turned out to be “bullets” containing cocaine.
On Thursday 19 January 2012 two suspects who arrived at ORTIA from Sao Paulo were arrested . First suspect, a South African lady passed out 101 bullets suspected to be cocaine. Weight- 1495 grams to the street value of R 430 111.50 and the Second suspect, a Brazilian man passed out 70 bullets suspected to be cocaine. Weight-720 grams to the street value of R207 144.00. The arrest of these two suspects brings the total to two hundred (200) the number of mules arrested at our three main airports in the country, i.e. ORTIA, King Shaka International and Cape Town International Airports since January 2011.
All four suspects are expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates court on Monday 23 January 2012
Enquiries:
Vishnu Naidoo
Tel: 012 400 6573
Cell: 082 567 4153
Fax: 012 400 7018
E-mail: mediacentre@saps.org.za
Four drug mules arrested at ORTIA
