SARS pounce on drug smuggling suspects at OR Tambo

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Pretoria - The South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs team at OR Tambo International Airport has prevented more than 17kg of drugs from entering the country over the past few days.

According to SARS, the most significant seizure was of 10kg of Methamphetamine/Crystal Meth (Tik), which was found on a male passenger who arrived from Delhi via Doha.

"He was intercepted for further checks, was questioned and his luggage was searched. The drugs were found concealed in shoes, rolls of ribbon and lever arch files. The drugs have a likely street value of around R3.7 million. The passenger was handed over to the SAPS," SARS said.

Six other individuals, who were disembarking from flights originating in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were also stopped and were found to be carrying more 7kg of cocaine between them.

"These six smuggling attempts saw drugs concealed in a number of ways - as "body wraps" under clothes, in the soles of shoes and in false bottoms in luggage, and as "bullets" which were concealed anally. More bullets were found discarded in the sewage system of one of the aircraft," SARS added.

Those involved in the incidents were mostly South African and were handed over to SAPS.

The seizures of the drugs took place between 2 and 5 November. - SAnews.gov.za