South African police have seized 95 kg of cocaine worth an estimated R28 million at OR Tambo International Airport in a major blow against organised drug trafficking.
The intelligence-driven operation was executed on Friday 31 July after the Crime Intelligence’s Border Integrity Unit of the police received information about a suspected drug consignment. Members of the Police’s Visible Policing Unit at OR Tambo, working alongside customs officials and Menzies Aviation operational staff, intercepted the cargo immediately upon its arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, at approximately 13:00.
The 95 kilograms of cocaine were seized in the airport’s cargo section. No arrests have been made at this stage, and investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved in the attempted smuggling operation.
The police has reiterated its commitment to disrupting organised criminal networks involved in the illicit drug trade and to protecting South Africa’s borders and ports of entry from criminal exploitation.
Previous arrests
Just weeks ago – 26 June – a 23-year-old South African woman was arrested at the same airport after X-rays confirmed the presence of drug-filled capsules inside her body. She was intercepted before boarding a flight to Tokyo and has since appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
That arrest followed a string of earlier busts this year. In April 2026, two drug mules were arrested over three days – a 66-year-old Somali national found with 55kg of khat, and a 33-year-old South African woman en route to Hong Kong with cocaine and crystal meth worth over R500 000 concealed in her luggage.
In March 2026, five South African women were arrested with drugs worth more than R5 million, concealed inside their sneakers, underwear and private parts. They were allegedly en route to China via Dubai.
Last year also saw major seizures, including a Brazilian man arrested with R1,4 million of cocaine strapped to his legs in May 2025, and a 25-year-old Brazilian woman arrested with R4,2 million worth of cocaine hidden in her luggage in July 2025.OR Tambo remains South Africa’s busiest airport and a key transit point in the global drug trade, with Brazilian cocaine routes continuing to feature prominently in interceptions.
