A suspect, 60, is due in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, on charges of dealing in illegal drugs.
The Serious Organised Crime Investigation (Soci) team of the Hawks arrested the 60-year-old woman at OR Tambo International Airport (Ortia) with dagga worth an estimated R400 000 following a tip-off from Crime Intelligence Gathering (Cig) head office regarding a suspected drug mule.
Hawks spokesperson Lt Col Katlego Mogale said that on November 5, members of the Germiston Soci were informed by Crime Intelligence of a suspected drug mule who was about to board at OR Tambo International Airport.
“The information was operationalised, and the identified suspect had already checked in when the team arrived.
“The passenger was located in the smoking lounge while her luggage was intercepted at the boarding gate.
“Upon opening the luggage, eight blocks (weighing 1kg each) of compressed dagga were found between her clothes,” said Mogale.
The team also confiscated the suspect’s cellphone for further investigation.
Police have in recent days been visible in the fight to get rid of drug from the streets.
Last Friday, police seized another consignment of drugs, this time, at a sea port in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.
Cocaine worth a street value of R65 million was seized on a vessel that had entered the country from Brazil.
Members of the Gqerberha Sea Port were following up on intelligence when they intercepted the vessel as it was docking on November 2, and found 35 blocks of cocaine that were compressed in blocks.
No arrests have been made thus far and police are investigating a case of trafficking in drugs.
This was the police’s third “massive” drug bust in a space of three weeks. The other two drug busts were in KwaZulu-Natal where police seized cocaine worth R150 million.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola, commended the team for the latest bust and police across the country for clamping down on all forms of criminality.
“Intelligence is at work, our members are on the ground throughout the country, clamping down on all forms of criminality. Day in and day out we continue to confiscate large quantities of drugs, SA is not a playground for criminals,” said Masemola.
Through Operation Shanela, police have in the last six months arrested more than 200 000 suspects for various crimes ranging from murder to rape.
The Star