Police at OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng have arrested a Brazilian drug trafficker following the interception of cocaine with an estimated street value of R8.7 million.
The 26-year-old transgender suspect was apprehended upon arrival on Sunday afternoon from Brazil after police, acting on intelligence, conducted a search of the suspects luggage.
SAPS Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said during the search, members discovered multiple blocks of cocaine wrapped and concealed inside his luggage.
“This arrest forms part of ongoing intelligence-driven operations targeting transnational drug trafficking networks operating through South Africa’s largest port of entry.
“Police at OR Tambo International Airport have in recent months recorded several successes in intercepting drug traffickers attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country,” he said.
Mathe said the interception of drug traffickers has gone a long way in disrupting the supply of illicit drugs and strengthening the fight against organised crime.
“The suspect is expected to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 28 April 2026, on charges of drug trafficking,” she said.