A 21-year-old South African woman was arrested at Johannesburg’s busy OR Tambo International Airport on drug smuggling charges, moments after arriving from Brazil.
The South African Police Service said on Sunday that the woman became the 11th drug mule to be arrested at the busy airport in two months.
The woman was arrested in a joint operation by police and the customs unit of the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier General Athlinda Mathie said the drug mule was identified and intercepted as she arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday morning at around 9am.
“She was taken to a local hospital where X-rays confirmed the presence of foreign objects in her abdomen. She has already fired a number of bullets from her body and is in police custody as police are closely monitoring the release of more drug bullets,” Mathie said.
She said that the process of releasing more drug packages from the woman’s body is still underway.
Meanwhile, SAPS National Commissioner, General Fani Masimola, praised the vigilance of members of the South African Revenue Service and the police at the airport.
“Our men and women in blue working closely with SARS Customs and various stakeholders continue to assert state authority at all our ports of entry. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of our members and urge them to do more to narrow the space for criminals,” Masimola said. .
“Drug dealers feel embarrassed and have nowhere to hide.” Islam Online
