JOHANNESBRUG – Five suspected female South African drug traffickers are expected to appear jointly in Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court tomorrow – Tuesday, 31 March, facing charges of drug trafficking. Drugs worth more than R5 million were discovered in their possession during their arrest on Saturday, 28 March at the OR Tambo International Airport.

“A search led to the discovery of drugs concealed inside their sneakers, underwear, and private parts. A preliminary report suggests that the suspects were en route to China via Dubai,” said Lt Col Amanda van Wyk, national spokesperson for SAPS.

She said law enforcement agents, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), working closely with Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), carried out the arrest. Van Wyk said investigations are ongoing into the five suspected drug mules’ involvement in the illicit drug trade.

This bust was part of an ongoing collaborative effort between SAPS and ACSA to crack down on transnational organised crime.

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OR Tambo Airport remains a high-activity zone for drug mules. Recent arrests involved suspects concealing cocaine and crystal meth in everyday items like cereal boxes or through ingestion. In March last year, a 51-year-old South African woman and a 24-year-old Brazilian man were caught with over R1 million in swallowed cocaine “bullets”.

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