Surge in Drug Trafficking at OR Tambo with Another Arrest in a Series of Recent Incidents

In a striking illustration of international drug cartels exploiting South Africa’s major air transport hubs, OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg has again been the scene of a significant drug bust. This past Friday marked yet another arrest when customs officials apprehended a 43-year-old woman from Paraguay who attempted to smuggle 33 “bullets” of cocaine, encapsulated and swallowed, after her arrival from São Paulo.

This incident underscores an unsettling trend at OR Tambo, where in just a two-week span, four drug traffickers have been intercepted, each employing invasive methods to conceal their illicit cargo. This string of events aligns with the growing concern about South Africa’s role as a transit point in the international drug distribution network.

Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk, the police spokesperson, detailed that the Paraguayan national was immediately taken to a nearby hospital after her arrest. Medical professionals conducted an X-ray that revealed the presence of the foreign objects in her stomach, later confirmed to be filled with cocaine. The suspect reportedly managed to release all 33 bullets while under medical supervision.

Prior incidents involved similar methods of drug concealment, with traffickers invariably originating from, or passing through, Latin America. Just earlier this week, a 21-year-old was stopped with cocaine bullets in his digestive system, also after arriving from Brazil. Another notable recent case involved a 44-year-old Brazilian woman who had cocaine taped around her torso—mirroring the technique used by a 25-year-old Brazilian man caught days earlier, carrying over three kilograms of the drug wrapped around his body.

With an astonishing 14 drug-related arrests at OR Tambo in the past four months, police are intensifying their focus on international smuggling routes. Each capsule or "bullet" intercepted typically contains about 10 grams of cocaine, posing severe risks to the couriers, including potential rupture and lethal overdose.

Deputy national commissioner, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, emphasized the dangers these drug mules face. “The consumption of such a large amount of narcotics is highly dangerous; any leakage or rupture inside the body can instantly be fatal,” he stated, highlighting the extreme measures traffickers take to elude detection.

As international cartels continue to target this major African hub, South African authorities are expected to maintain heightened surveillance and continue collaborations with international law enforcement to counteract the intricate networks enabling these trans-national crimes.