Staff Reporter
Police seized more than R200 million worth of cocaine in two separate interceptions at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, the latest in a series of significant drug busts at South Africa’s busiest airport this year.
No arrests have been made and police are investigating those responsible for importing and distributing the drugs, SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement on Wednesday.
Mathe said SAPS members based at the airport, working with other law enforcement agencies, including Customs officials, intercepted the two consignments.
In the first incident, two large travel suitcases intercepted at the airport terminal were found to contain blocks of suspected cocaine weighing about 84kg.
In a separate operation at the cargo section, authorities seized four boxes containing about 250kg of suspected cocaine packed into 220 blocks.
Police said the combined estimated street value of the drugs was more than R200 million.
The South African Revenue Service (SARS), which was involved in the operation, said in a separate statement that the seizure totalled more than 333kg and had an estimated street value of over R167 million.
SARS said the cocaine in the two suitcases weighed 83.10kg, while the cargo consignment contained 250kg. It said both consignments had arrived on the same flight from São Paulo, Brazil, and carried similar “Air” branding.
The seizure follows a string of drug interceptions at OR Tambo in 2026.
On July 31, police seized 95kg of cocaine worth an estimated R28 million from the airport’s cargo section. That consignment had also arrived on a flight from São Paulo and was intercepted following information received by the SAPS Crime Intelligence Border Integrity Unit. No arrests were made in that case.
A month earlier, on June 26, Border Police arrested a 23-year-old South African woman who was allegedly carrying suspected drug-filled capsules inside her body. She was intercepted before boarding a direct flight to Tokyo after travelling on a domestic route. Police said she had released 28 suspected drug-filled capsules by the time the case was announced, while the type and value of the drugs were still awaiting forensic confirmation.
In May, police arrested a Dutch national who was allegedly attempting to travel to Frankfurt with more than 40kg of khat concealed in his luggage. The drugs were valued at about R240,000. At the time, SAPS said it had intercepted and arrested more than 50 drug mules at OR Tambo over the previous two years.
The airport was also the scene of several interceptions in April. On April 26, a 26-year-old Brazilian national was arrested after police found cocaine worth an estimated R8.7 million, while a series of operations over the same long weekend also resulted in arrests involving khat and suspected cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
In late March, five South African women were arrested at OR Tambo with drugs valued at more than R5 million allegedly concealed in their sneakers, underwear and private parts. Police said the women were travelling to China via Dubai.
Earlier that month, police seized drugs valued at about R2.8 million in two cargo operations, including crystal meth worth R2.2 million destined for the Philippines and eight boxes of dagga worth R672,000 that had been shipped from Morocco to South Africa.
Mathe said Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane had applauded the multidisciplinary team for Tuesday’s seizures and commended its vigilance and continued efforts to disrupt drug trafficking through South Africa’s major international entry points.
“The vigilance of our members at this strategic port of entry ought to be commended. On a monthly basis, we continue to intercept large quantities of drugs and disrupt the activities of drug mules.
“These successes send a strong message that we will not allow South Africa to be used as a transit point or market for illicit drugs. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to detect, intercept and dismantle drug trafficking networks,” Dimpane said, according to Mathe.
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