A South African woman has been arrested in Ethiopia with cocaine valued at R5.4 million. The 29-year-old woman was nabbed in a joint collaboration between SAPS Gauteng counter-narcotics intelligence and the Ethiopian Federal Police in Addis Ababa. 

ARRESTED IN A JOINT OPERATION 

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said a team from SAPS Gauteng counter narcotics covert intelligence flagged the drug mule through SAPS Interpol on suspicion that she was travelling to Brazil to collect drugs and fly back to SA through several countries. Mathe said the woman travelled to Brazil from OR Tambo International Airport in the the first week of October. "According to the drug trafficker's itinerary, she was supposed to travel from Brazil via Addis Ababa via Sudan and back to South Africa. Hot on her heels, SAPS intelligence immediately notified the Ethiopian Federal Police about her movements," Mathe said. 

CAUGHT WITH 13 KG COCAINE 

 On arrival at Addis Ababa on Saturday, the mule was flagged, her luggage was checked and 13 kg of cocaine was found. "She was immediately apprehended and is expected to be charged and appear in court in Ethiopia," added Mathe. National police commissioner General Fanie Masemola has applauded the collaboration between SA Interpol and the Ethiopian police. "When African police organisations unite, more can and will be achieved by working together. We are stamping the authority of the state on a larger scale and sending out a clearer message that the long arm of the law will find you, no matter which route you utilise to try and traffic drugs into SA. We are intensifying our fight against transnational organised crime and the trafficking of drugs. SAPS intelligence is relentless in their pursuit to be one step ahead of criminals; this is commendable," said Masemola.