By Marvin Charles.
SA Police Services (SAPS) arrested a man at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Friday evening for allegedly smuggling drugs.
“This [alleged] drug mule had just landed from São Paulo [in Brazil] and was connecting to Nigeria when he met with a cleaner at the airport and [was] handed aircraft headphones.
“Suspecting that there was something amiss, a team [of officials] opened the aircraft headphones and found cocaine stashed in the headphones,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
At least 450 grams of cocaine were found inside the headphones.
The cleaner is on the run.
Mathe said a man hunt is under way for the cleaner.
Police said the suspect will face charges for drug trafficking.
“The [alleged] drug mule who claims he is a street vendor in Nigeria claims he was in Brazil to buy clothes and shoes which he sells in his home country – police are investigating this aspect – to prove that this may be used as a decoy by this drug trafficker,” she said.
According to police In the past two months, more than R13 million worth of drugs including R12 million worth of cocaine has been seized at OR Tambo Airport.
Nine drug traffickers and alleged drug mules have been arrested during this same period.
All suspects were arrested in the possession of these drugs.
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has reiterated his stance in saying South Africa is not a playground for criminals and that any anyone who finds themselves on the wrong side of the law will be sniffed out from any corner of this country and made to answer to crimes committed.
Masemola added these arrests and drug confiscations should serve as a deterrent to other drug traffickers, that they will be caught.