
Johannesburg – Authorities apprehended a Brazilian drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, where he was caught expelling pellets filled with narcotics.
The 21-year-old individual, who had ingested the pellets, arrived on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, shortly after 12:20 PM.
According to Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, spokesperson for the SA Police Service (SAPS), his arrest was the result of intelligence received by law enforcement.
“The drug mule was taken to a local hospital where medical imaging confirmed the presence of foreign objects in his digestive system,” stated Brigadier Mathe.
“The process of retrieving these foreign objects is underway, and SAPS can confirm that the suspect is expelling plastic-wrapped cocaine ‘bullets’.”

Brigadier Mathe added: “He is anticipated to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on charges of drug possession and trafficking before the end of the week.”
Brigadier Mathe emphasized that police at OR Tambo International Airport are maintaining heightened vigilance as part of their efforts for safer festive operations.
She stressed that the SAPS “Safer Festive Season Operations” are fully active nationwide, ensuring that criminals everywhere are “feeling the pressure.”
The arrest of this suspected drug mule marks the second such incident in only a few days.
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