Durban - SAA flight attendant Priya “Pree” Govender is languishing in a foreign jail facing a possible life sentence after she was caught allegedly with 6kg of cocaine hidden in her luggage.
The 32-year-old former Phoenix woman was arrested by Australian Border Force officers at Perth Airport.
According to Australian media, it is alleged officers examined her bags after her flight from Johannesburg landed in Perth on August 18. Six packages were concealed in six books, the Australian Federal Police was quoted as having said.
“Initial testing returned a positive result for the border controlled drug cocaine.”
Govender appeared in court on August 19 and is due back on Wednesday.
She was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Govender was denied bail.
When POST visited her family’s Phoenix home on Saturday they declined to comment.
SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said the airline was aware of the matter.
He said Govender had worked for the airline since January 2010.
Patricia Gerber, from the advocacy organisation Locked Up in a Foreign Country, said there were over 3 000 South Africans sitting in foreign prisons for drug offences.