WATCH: 60 cocaine bullets and more recovered from Namibian woman’s stomach after she landed in OR Tambo from Brazil

A 30-year-old Namibian national has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park after she landed with suspected cocaine in her system.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) said the suspected drug courier arrested on Sunday is the 10th drug courier to be arrested at Gauteng’s busy airport in the past two months.

National police spokesperson Brigadier General Athlenda Mathe said that SAPS, the customs and immigration officers of the SA Revenue Service, are investigating information from SAPS about a drug courier who was due to land from Sao Paulo at around 7am.

“The team immediately intercepted the drug courier as she passed through immigration. She was immediately arrested and taken to a local hospital, where a medical x-ray confirmed that there were foreign objects in her stomach,” Mathe said.

A Namibian woman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after she landed from Brazil with cocaine in her stomach. Photo: SAPS

On Sunday evening, Mathe announced that the process of removing the suspected drugs from her body is underway.

“She has fired over 60 rounds of suspected cocaine so far. She is currently under police surveillance and custody,” Mathe said.

A Namibian woman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after she landed from Brazil with cocaine in her stomach. Photo: SAPS

“The value of the drugs cannot be determined at this time as it may take some time for all suspected drugs to be removed from the suspect’s system,” police said.

A Namibian woman was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport after she landed from Brazil with cocaine in her stomach. Photo: SAPS

Meanwhile, SAPS National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola praised the vigilance of the multidisciplinary team working tirelessly to tackle crime at OR Tambo International 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 squeeze the space for criminals and leave nothing to chance,” Masemola said.

Last month, IOL reported that a South African woman suspected of smuggling drugs who recently left South Africa for Brazil under the guise of shopping for her “upcoming wedding” found herself in trouble after being arrested at OR Tambo International Airport.

“The Germiston-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Team swooped on the unsuspecting 33-year-old traveller at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday morning (27 August),” said Captain Lloyd Ramovha, Gauteng provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.

“A search of her luggage revealed a shipment of narcotics, which was determined to be 10 kilograms of cocaine.”

The law enforcement team, accompanied by customs officers and dogs, continued to search the area for possible aides and accomplices.

Two suspects were identified and observed in the airport’s international arrivals hall.

“They were approached and taken for questioning at the police station. They stated that they were waiting for a traveler from elsewhere, but they could not provide any evidence for this,” Ramovha said.

“It was eventually established that they were in fact waiting for the arrested drug courier who was from Motherwell in Port Elizabeth,” he said.

The two accomplices are both Nigerian citizens, aged 37 and 52 respectively.

IOL