Police have nabbed 14 drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport in two months, most of the perpetrators are men.
Almost every week, the South African Police Service (SAPS) have been making notable arrests of drug mules, some of whom had swallowed bullets suspected to be cocaine.
On Friday, National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, during the launch of the 2024/2025 National Safer Festive Season Operations in Mamelodi said police are prioritising the fight against drugs.
“Focus area four: The illicit economy is a crime trend that we will work hard to clamp down on. Our campaign to combat illicit drugs trafficking, illicit mining, illicit and counterfeit goods continues unabated,” said Masemola;
All the 14 drug mules are behind bars and are attending cases at Kempton Park Magistrates Court, applying for bail.
However the State believes it has water tight cases against all the drug mules.
National SAPS spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the highest number of drug mules nabbed at OR Tambo International Airport were males.
“A total of three females and 11 males were arrested immediately after arriving in South Africa after tip-off,” said Mathe
On October 06, 2024 police arrested three drug mules including two Dutch traffickers who were found with 80kg of Khat.
SAPS in collaboration with officials from South African Revenue Service (SARS) arrested a drug mule aged 43 from Paraguay.
The drug mule had landed from São Paulo when he was arrested by police officials at the airport.
A medical examination confirmed that he had swallowed multiple foreign objects. He released 117 bullets suspected to contain cocaine before he was rushed for medical attention on Monday..
From the two Dutch drug traffickers, who were arrested in separate incidents at the airport, police seized 80 kilograms of fresh Khat (binomial name catha edulis) found in their possession.
According to a preliminary report, both the 21-year-old and a 59-year-old suspect were on route from South Africa to the Netherlands via Dubai when they were intercepted by police; they attempted to check-in and board their flights last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
On September 29, 2024, a 21-year-old South African female who had landed from Sao Paulo when she was arrested. An X-ray examination confirmed that she had swallowed over 100 bullets containing drugs.
On September 22, 2024 police arrested a Namibian drug mule at the airport who swallowed more than 60 bullets of suspected cocaine.
On September 14, a Nigerian drug mule was arrested at the airport, then police seized drugs worth more than R 13 million.
Recently, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu commended SAPS for progress in detecting and removing drugs from communities nationwide.
He applauded the men and women in blue amid a drug lab bust worth R2 billion in Limpopo. Cocaine worth R252 million was seized in Still Bay, Western Cape. In the Northern Cape, mandrax to the value of R395 000 and tik were seized during operations.
Saturday Star