Three Arrested After 10kg Cocaine Found in Luggage
A woman allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs from South Africa to Brazil was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport, posing as a shopper preparing for her upcoming wedding.
The 33-year-old was apprehended on Tuesday morning by the Hawks, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
Captain Lloyd Ramovha, Gauteng spokesperson for the Hawks, reported that the arrest occurred when the serious organized crime investigation team intercepted the traveler at the airport.
A thorough search of her luggage uncovered 10 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside.
The law enforcement team, working alongside customs officials and sniffer dogs, conducted further investigations in the airport vicinity to identify potential accomplices.
Two suspects, both Nigerian nationals aged 37 and 52, were located in the international arrivals hall.
They were brought in for questioning after claiming they were waiting for a traveler from another location but failed to provide any proof of their statements.
It was later established that these men were waiting for the arrested woman, who originates from Motherwell in Port Elizabeth.
The two accomplices are also expected to face charges alongside her in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
This incident follows another drug-related case at OR Tambo International Airport last month, where a Brazilian national named Risclift Tadue Ramos, 36, was caught attempting to smuggle four kilograms of cocaine concealed on his body.
He was also arrested by the Hawks after intelligence indicated he was a drug mule arriving at the airport.
