Over twenty drug mules have been arrested at O.R Tambo International Airport since September this year. SAPS has confirmed that they've arrested the drug mules who were found in possession of drugs after they landed at the airport.

MORE DRUG MULES NABBED AT ORT

In the latest arrest, two suspected drug traffickers were nabbed at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng on Sunday, 18 December, shortly after landing at the airport from São Paulo in Brazil. The police said one of these traffickers was found in possession of over 4kg of cocaine in his luggage, while a medical x-ray confirmed the presence of drug 'bullets' swallowed by the other drug mule. Fifteen 'bullets' containing cocaine were released. The arrest comes after the arrest of a suspected drug mule from Paraguay earlier this month. In September, a 21-year-old South African woman was arrested after landing from São Paulo in Brazil. An X-ray examination confirmed that she had swallowed over 100 bullets containing drugs. A week later, a Namibian drug mule was also arrested and found with 60 bullets of cocaine. In the same month, a Nigerian drug mule was arrested at the airport with drugs worth more than R13 million. The police also revealed that between September and October, they arrested 14 drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport, including two Dutch traffickers who were found with 80 kg of kat.

RISKY BUSINESS

With most mules found to have swallowed the drugs before travelling into the country, Deputy National Commissioner responsible for policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said this is a dangerous exercise for anyone to do. She said this after one of the mules who had swallowed the drugs was rushed to the hospital following a health complication while releasing the bullets. "The releasing process has been stopped because every time the bullets were coming out, there were traces of blood that could only indicate that he was bleeding from inside the stomach," Mosikili said. She added: "This is a very dangerous exercise for anyone to do. This must send a strong message out there and serve as a deterrent that this exercise is dangerous and can cause loss of life. The SAPS remains on high alert to prevent and combat criminality at OR Tambo International Airport," she added. Last month, police minister Senzo Mchunu revealed during the release of crime statistics that the police seized drugs valued at R77.7 million for the period between April and June 2024.