Pretoria - A passenger allegedly carrying cocaine with a street value of R2.5 million, was intercepted at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) on Wednesday, said the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
“[The] SARS’s customs team at Oliver Tambo International Airport intercepted about 8.5 kg of cocaine with a street value of R2.5 million from a passenger en route to Lagos in Nigeria, today.
“The bust was triggered by SARS’s scanning equipment,” said the revenue service.
The scanning equipment identified opaque images in handbags found in the checked-in bags of the passenger.
The man and two of his checked-in bags were intercepted and brought to customs for a mandatory inspection for the luggage to be scanned. He was then taken to the common search area where further inspection of the bags was conducted.
In one of the bags, four women's handbags were found, each containing eleven packages wrapped in brown tape, containing a cream-coloured powder substance.
A drug test confirmed that the substance was cocaine.
“This is the second customs cocaine bust at ORTIA in a week. In both cases the illegal narcotics were identified through scanning of luggage.
“SARS will continue to increase its capacity to tackle smuggling of illegal goods and substances through our borders by means of significant investment in advanced technology,” said SARS.
In terms of legal procedure, the passenger and the detained narcotics were handed over to the police for further investigation and possible arrest. – SAnews.gov.za
