Seven arrested as drugs worth over R7m confiscated at OR Tambo airport

File picture: Independent Media

File picture: Independent Media

Published Dec 15, 2019

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PRETORIA - A 55-year-old man has been arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) in Gauteng - the seventh person in six weeks caught for dealing in drugs - and over R7 million of heroin and cocaine have been confiscated in the same period, according to the police in Gauteng.

In the latest incident, the police stopped and searched a 55-year-old man travelling on a Hungarian passport "on his way to check-in when they discovered heroin worth more than R3 million", Colonel Brenda Muridili said in a statement.

"He had booked a flight departing to Lisbon via Doha. He was detained and charged with dealing in drugs. He will be appearing in the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, 17 December 2019."

The man's arrest supplemented last month’s recovery of cocaine worth more than R4 million, that saw six people arrested for possession and dealing in drugs in separate incidents.

The six accused had already appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court and they had all been remanded in custody. The investigators in those cases had successfully apposed bail for all six.

"The ORTIA multi-disciplinary task team will continue to thwart efforts of criminals to utilise this port of entry as a platform for trafficking drugs, contraband, and illicit substances. The vigilance of members at the airport has been supplemented by specialised investigations that have been put in place to ensure that those perpetrators that have been detected are eventually convicted and sentenced."

The community was encouraged to continue sending tip offs via MySAPSApp or calling the Crime Stop number ‪086-00-10111. Callers may remain anonymous and all information received will be treated with the strictest confidence, Muridili said.

African News Agency

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