A 69-year-old man is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrates Court on Friday following a drug bust at OR Tambo International on Wednesday.
The man was found in possession of eight kilograms of heroin, with a street value of around R1.2 million concealed in his travel bag. This is according to Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
‘Counter Narcotics Intelligence Head Office, Organised Crime Narcotics Head Office and K9 West Rand operationalised intelligence information and intercepted the suspect as he attempted to board a flight destined for India,’ Netshiunda added.
The accused has been charged with possession and dealing of drugs.
The arrest comes less than a month after a multidisciplinary team arrested a man in his early 50s for drug trafficking at King Shaka International Airport.
In a statement, Hawks spokesperson, Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, said the man was found with just over six kilograms of cocaine, valued at around R2.2 million in his luggage. The man was believed to have been on his way to the Philippines. He has since appeared in court with investigations ongoing.
Meanwhile, last year, Insight Crime reported that South Africa had made great strides in seizing large quantities of drugs, destined for other countries.
The report noted the confiscation of a ton of cocaine from a shipping container in the Durban port that had arrived from the Brazilian port of Santos, in July.
At the time police spokesperson, Colonel Katlego Mogale, said by March last year over four tons of cocaine had been seized in the country.
‘Most of these drugs would have been destined for other countries while at least 20% would have remained behind as payment to the traffickers and consumption in the domestic market,’ he said.
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