SAPS
The South African Police Service said a suspected drug smuggler was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) on Tuesday after arriving from Brazil.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police had received a tip-off about the suspect who boarded a flight from Sao Paulo and was carrying drugs.
She said when the plane landed the suspect was identified and taken in for questioning.
Mathe said at the same time the team searched the aircraft and found a parcel of cocaine worth an estimated R1million.
She said the Brazilian national was detained and charged with drug trafficking.
This is the second Brazilian National arrested at ORTIA in the last two weeks for allegedly smuggling drugs into the country.
Risclif Tadue Ramos, 34, attempted to smuggle a consignment of 4 kg of cocaine into country and was arrested on the 22nd of July..
He did not check in any luggage, which raised suspicion and the drugs were found concealed in a body wrap.
An interpreter was sourced as he claimed to not understand English.
Ramos admitted to the interpreter that he did have drugs on him and he was taken into custody.
The national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, warned that SA is not a “playground” for these syndicates involved in the trafficking of drugs.
SAPS said large quantities of drugs were seized over the past two weeks, with seizures in the Western Cape, and shutting down a drug lab in Limpopo where Mexican nationals were arrested.
A Russian national was among the suspects arrested in the Western Cape case.
