JOHANNESBURG – A 25-year-old Brazilian drug trafficker was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, 29 July 2025, after arriving from São Paulo via Doha.
Acting on intelligence, a joint team comprising Crime Intelligence Counter Narcotics Intel Gauteng, ORTIA SAPS Tactical Team, the Border Management Authority (BMA), and private security intercepted the suspect shortly after landing.
A search of his luggage uncovered about 10kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R4.2 million. The suspect was also taken for a medical examination to determine whether he had swallowed cocaine-filled pellets.
SAPS says the arrest forms part of ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational drug syndicates, with more than 25 drug traffickers apprehended at this port of entry since the start of the year.
Acting on intelligence, a joint team comprising Crime Intelligence Counter Narcotics Intel Gauteng, ORTIA SAPS Tactical Team, the Border Management Authority (BMA), and private security intercepted the suspect shortly after landing.
A search of his luggage uncovered about 10kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R4.2 million. The suspect was also taken for a medical examination to determine whether he had swallowed cocaine-filled pellets.
SAPS says the arrest forms part of ongoing efforts to dismantle transnational drug syndicates, with more than 25 drug traffickers apprehended at this port of entry since the start of the year.
