[imagesource:flickr]

A joint operation between the SAPS and the Ethiopian Federal Police has led to the arrest of an alleged South African drug smuggler in Ethiopia.

The woman was nabbed in Addis Ababa on Saturday with approximately 13kg of cocaine, with a street value of R5.4 million.

The SAPS Gauteng team reported the 29-year-old lady to SAPS Interpol on suspicion that she was heading to Brazil to obtain narcotics and bring them back to South Africa.

National police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the woman travelled to Brazil from the OR Tambo International Airport during the first week of October.

“According to the drug trafficker’s itinerary, she was supposed to travel from Brazil via Addis Ababa via Sudan and back to South Africa.”

“Hot on her heels, SAPS intelligence immediately notified the Ethiopian Federal Police about her movements.”

Interpol SA, SAPS Gauteng counter-narcotics covert intelligence, and Ethiopian Federal Police are now working on tracking down the mastermind, and SAPS national commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, praised the arrest, saying that when African police organisations unite, more can, and will, be achieved by working together.

“We are stamping the authority of the state on a larger scale and sending out a clearer message that the long arm of the law will find you, no matter which route you utilise to try and traffic drugs into SA. We are intensifying our fight against transnational organised crime and the trafficking of drugs. SAPS intelligence is relentless in their pursuit to be one step ahead of criminals, this is commendable.”

The arrest comes after SARS Customs officials seized cocaine valued at an estimated R25 million at OR Tambo Airport on Saturday. The cocaine was packed into 47 bricks, weighing around 50 kilograms and was discovered in an unaccompanied bag on a carousel for a flight from Sao Paolo in Brazil en route to Kinshasa.

A joint operation involving ACSA staff,SARS Customs & SAPS has led to the discovery of R25 million worth of cocaine at the OR TAMBO International Airport. The cocaine was found in an unaccompanied bag on a carousel for a flight from São Paulo. No arrests, investigations underway pic.twitter.com/a8owAzq9HA

— Athlenda Mathe (@AthlendaM) October 11, 2024

One has to wonder how you could think it possible to slip 13kg of coke through airport security, much less 50kg.

[source:iol&enca]