A 55-year-old Nigerian man has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa for alleged drug trafficking after arriving from São Paulo, Brazil.
According to The South African, a local news outlet, police intercepted the suspect upon arrival, and a medical X-ray later confirmed that he had swallowed multiple drug pellets filled with cocaine.
Confirming the arrest, Gauteng police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk stated, “The suspect, who is still releasing bullets, is expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court this week.”
Law enforcement officials are closely monitoring his condition as they await the complete expulsion of the illicit substances.
During a strategic planning session on transnational organised crime in Pretoria, South Africa’s National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, addressed the increasing cases of drug mule arrests at OR Tambo International Airport.
“Since 2024, we have arrested about 20 drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport,” Masemola disclosed.
He also cited previous cases, including two South African nationals caught with cocaine worth R7.5 million and a December 2024 incident where police arrested a Brazilian national carrying over 4 kg of cocaine. In another case, a drug mule was found to have swallowed 15 cocaine pellets.
Masemola further recalled the arrest of a 43-year-old Paraguayan drug courier that same month, revealing, “She was taken to a local hospital, where a medical X-ray detected foreign objects in her stomach. A total of 33 drug pellets containing cocaine were subsequently released.”
Authorities say the arrests form part of a broader crackdown on international drug trafficking, with security agencies intensifying operations at airports and seaports.
Masemola highlighted a recent intelligence-led operation at Durban Harbour, where cocaine was recovered from containers of paint shipped from Brazil and destined for Gauteng.
South African law enforcement has vowed to strengthen international collaboration to curb the trafficking of illicit substances into the country.
