Namibian Woman Arrested After Excreting 60 Wraps of Cocaine Upon Arrival at South African Airport from Brazil

A 30-year-old Namibian drug mule was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, South Africa, after arriving with suspected cocaine hidden in her body.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) reported that the woman, arrested on Sunday, September 22, 2024, is the tenth drug mule apprehended at the busy Gauteng airport in the past two months.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe stated that SAPS, along with South African Revenue Service customs and immigration officials, acted on intelligence regarding a drug mule arriving from São Paulo, Brazil, around 7 a.m.

“The team immediately intercepted the drug mule as she was making her way through immigration. She was immediately arrested, and taken to a local hospital where a medical X-ray confirmed and detected foreign objects in her stomach,” said Mathe.

On Sunday evening, Mathe said the process to release the suspected drugs from her body was underway.

“She has already released more than 60 bullets of suspected cocaine thus far. She is currently under police guard and custody,” said Mathe.

“The value of the drugs cannot be determined at this stage as the process to release all suspected drugs from the suspect’s body may take some time,” she said.

Meanwhile, the national commissioner of SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, has praised the vigilance of the multi-disciplinary team working tirelessly to combat criminality at OR Tambo International Airport.

“Our men and women in blue are hard at work intercepting hardened criminals. South Africa is not a playground for criminals and transnational organised crime. We are squeezing the space for criminals and leaving nothing to chance,” said Masemola.