Johannesburg - They had cash stashed in 11 pieces of luggage including four backpacks - R78 million destined for the United Arab Emirates.
But eagle-eyed customs officials at OR Tambo International Airport were on to them and confiscated the bags with R23m and $3.775m in notes.
On the same day, R50m worth of cocaine stashed in hair product bottles was seized at the same airport, in one of the biggest crime-busting days at OR Tambo.
On Monday, SA Revenue Service (Sars) officials said five people had been arrested after being caught with the undeclared cash as they were about to leave South Africa.
“Risk profiling earlier by Sars custom officials identified the passengers, and led to their apprehension as they boarded the aircraft at 9.45pm.
“Upon noticing the officials, the passengers retreated and headed back to the entrance of the boarding gate. At this point, officials closed the boarding gate door and the passengers were compelled to wait for the Sars officials,” Sars said.
When asked whether they had any currency, one of the passengers apparently said he had R100 000 and that the other members of the group had currency with them.
“The five individuals were escorted back to immigration at international arrivals, booked back into South Africa and escorted to customs.”
Sars spokesperson Luther Lebelo said the bags with the cash had been handed over to the SA Reserve Bank.
“The matter has been handed over to the SA Reserve Bank for further investigations. Once the bank is satisfied that there is an element of criminality, they can take the matter to the police,” he said.
The arrests on Friday - details of which were released on Tuesday - followed a R50m drug bust at the airport.
National police spokesman Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said the consignment of cocaine, weighing about 143kg, was one of the largest drug recoveries at a South African port of entry.
“The drugs were hidden in 147 hair products bottles and were found during a routine inspection at the cargo section. The consignment arrived from Brazil, and information displayed on the cargo indicated it was in transit to Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa,” he said.
National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega said the bust “comforts us” that South Africa’s ports of entry are manned by committed people “who understand the mission and mandate”.
“Although we would have loved to arrest someone in connection with this recovery, we take comfort in the knowledge that this huge stash did not find its way into any community in the country, where lives could have been ruined,” she added.
Other drug busts at OR Tambo over the past month include:
* The confiscation of 60 000 Viagra tablets with a street value of R6m at the airport’s mailing centre.
* Cocaine weighing 3.46kg and valued at R993 020, found in the backpack of a passenger in transit from Sao Paulo and headed for Lagos, Nigeria.
* Sixty-five packages of crystal meth valued at R4.2m, confiscated while being loaded into a bakkie in the cargo area.
* Heroin valued at R201 810 destined for Spain and Ireland, discovered along with 2kg of cannabis at the airport’s mailing centre.
Meanwhile, police made a bust of mandrax valued at R4m last night after raiding a home in Liefde de Vrede, Joburg South.
Gauteng police spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Katlego Mogale said two men had been arrested.
“Police were given a tip-off from a community member. They followed the lead and raided the home,” she said.
“Unprocessed (mandrax) products were also found on the premises.”
The men would be charged with manufacturing drugs with the intent to sell, Mogale said.
The Star