Namibian drug mule caught at OR Tambo airport after swallowing 60 cocaine pellets

A 30-year-old Namibian woman acting as a drug mule was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday.

The South African Police Services (SAPS), South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs and immigration officials received intelligence from SAPS regarding a drug mule that would land from Sao Paulo at about 07:25. 

“The team immediately intercepted the drug mule as she was making her way through immigration. She was immediately arrested, taken to a local hospital where a medical X-ray confirmed and detected foreign objects in her stomach,” said the police in a statement.

According to police the process to release the suspected drugs from her body is underway. 

10th drug mule to be arrested in two months

“She has already released more than 60 bullets of suspected cocaine thus far. She is currently under police guard and custody.

“The value of the drugs cannot be determined at this stage as the process to release all suspected drugs from the suspect’s body may take some time,” said the statement.

This is the 10th drug mule to be arrested at this airport in the past two months – and the second in a week after police arrested a Nigerian drug mule after arriving from Brazil. 

National Commissioner of the Police, General Fannie Masemola, applauded the vigilance of the multidisciplinary team who are working tirelessly to clamp down on criminality at the airport.

“Our men and women in blue are hard at work intercepting hardened criminals. South Africa is not a playground for criminals and transnational organised crime. We are squeezing the space for criminals and leaving nothing to chance,” said Masemola.