PRETORIA – A 23-year-old South African woman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng on drug dealing charges after X-rays revealed suspected drug-filled capsules inside her body.

After arriving at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday 26 June, she was identified by border police acting on a tip-off and taken for medical examination. X-rays confirmed the presence of suspected drug-filled capsules inside her body.

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Mukhathi, spokesperson for the South African Police Service (SAPS), said preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect travelled on a domestic route before attempting to continue her journey on an international flight.

She was intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport before boarding a direct flight to Tokyo.

Soon after her arrest, the suspect had released 28 suspected drug-filled capsules. The process took place under strict medical supervision, and the recovered exhibits have been booked into the SAPS exhibit management system for forensic analysis.

The street value and exact type of the suspected narcotics will be determined once forensic testing has been completed.

She remains in police custody and is expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on Monday 29 June on charges relating to dealing in drugs.

Mukhathi said the SAPS remains committed to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and preventing illicit substances from entering or leaving South Africa through its ports of entry.

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