Johannesburg – Police at OR Tambo International Airport have intercepted a Dutch national with 60kg of the illicit drug Khat concealed in his luggage.
The alleged drug trafficker from the Netherlands was set to depart for London on Sunday morning when he was intercepted at the airport.
His luggage was inspected, and 60kg of khat was found concealed inside.
Khat is a flowering shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, whose leaves and young shoots are chewed or brewed for their stimulant and euphoric effects.
“This is less than 24 hours after the arrest of a Brazilian national found with cocaine worth an estimated R8.7 million at the same airport,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
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She said the latest arrests demonstrate the vigilance and heightened operations by the South African Police Service (SAPS) working closely with the Airports Company of South Africa security, Border Management Authority officials, and South African Revenue Service customs at ports of entry.
“The back-to-back successes in intercepting drug traffickers underscore the country’s firm stance against transnational organised crime and law enforcement’s commitment to safeguarding South Africa’s borders,” stated Brigadier Mathe.
“SAPS will continue to intensify its efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and ensure that those involved face the full might of the law.”
The drug mule from the Netherlands was expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court this week on charges relating to drug trafficking.
