International drug traffickers appear to be increasingly targeting OR Tambo International Airport, as another significant drug seizure took place there over the weekend.

On Friday, law enforcement successfully intercepted a Paraguayan drug mule’s audacious attempt to evade detection by smuggling 33 cocaine-filled bullets in her stomach.

Another drug mule arrested at OR Tambo

Officials reported that this arrest is part of ongoing efforts to tackle drug trafficking into South Africa, occurring shortly after the 43-year-old woman arrived from São Paulo on Friday, December 6.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk indicated that the suspected drug mule was taken to a local hospital, where an X-ray revealed foreign objects identified as drug bullets inside her stomach.

In total, 33 cocaine-filled bullets were ultimately extracted from the Paraguayan suspect.

Four arrests in two weeks

This latest apprehension marks the fourth drug trafficker caught at the airport in just two weeks.

This past Tuesday, a 21-year-old man was apprehended after arriving from Brazil, with an X-ray revealing several plastic-wrapped cocaine bullets concealed in his stomach.

On November 28, authorities arrested a 44-year-old Brazilian woman who had cocaine wrapped around her body.

This method of concealment was similar to that used by a 25-year-old Brazilian man arrested on November 24, who had over three kilograms of cocaine wrapped around himself. The street value of the confiscated cocaine is estimated at R1.8 million.

Worrying surge in drug trafficking at OR Tambo

Van Wyk previously revealed that 14 suspects have been arrested on drug trafficking charges at OR Tambo airport over a period of four months.

• In October, three individuals, including two Dutch traffickers, were found in possession of 80kg of Khat.
• Also in October, a 43-year-old Paraguayan man was detained upon his arrival from São Paulo.

He had to be rushed to the hospital after experiencing complications from the drug bullets he ingested, ultimately expelling around 117 cocaine-filled bullets.

Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, noted at the time that each bullet weighed approximately 10g.

“That is an enormous amount for one person to ingest,” Mosikili conveyed to TimesLIVE.

“Swallowing bullets is inherently unsafe. There’s a risk that a bullet could rupture inside the body, and they also have the potential to explode, which could lead to immediate fatality,” he added.

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