South African Woman Arrested at OR Tambo with Drugs Hidden in Her Stomach
A 21-year-old South African woman has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg with drugs after arriving on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil.
Authorities revealed that the woman was found with drugs packed in her stomach.
Eleventh Drug Mule Arrested at OR Tambo in Two Months
This arrest, part of a joint operation between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs unit, marks the eleventh drug mule apprehended at the airport in just two months.
The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for an X-ray, which confirmed the presence of foreign objects in her stomach. SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe stated,
“She has already released a number of bullets from her body and is in police custody where officers are closely monitoring the release of further drug bullets.”
Ongoing Efforts to Intercept Drug Traffickers
The process of recovering the remaining drug packets from the woman’s body is still ongoing, with police overseeing the situation closely. Brigadier Mathe highlighted the significance of this arrest as part of a larger effort to clamp down on drug smuggling at South Africa’s busiest airport.
National commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, commended the collaborative work between the police and SARS in ensuring the security of the country’s borders.
“Our men and women in blue, working closely with SARS customs and various stakeholders, continue to assert the authority of the state at all our ports of entry,” he said.
Masemola further encouraged officers to increase their efforts in disrupting criminal activities.
Increase in Drug Mule Arrests at OR Tambo
The incident adds to a growing list of drug mule arrests at OR Tambo International Airport in recent months. Last week, a 30-year-old Namibian woman was apprehended after authorities received a tip-off. An X-ray revealed that she, too, had ingested drug bullets before her flight landed in South Africa.