Cape Town – A Nigerian man was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine in a set of headphones.
He had just arrived from São Paulo and handed the headphones to a cleaner, who fled upon noticing police.
Authorities, including airport security, customs officials, and the Border Management Authority, discovered the drugs hidden inside the headphones.
“Suspecting that there was something amiss, the team opened the aircraft headphones and found cocaine stashed in the headphones.
#sapsHQ Nigerian drug mule arrested at OR Tambo Airport – more than R13 Million worth of drugs seized and nine drug mules nabbed at OR Tambo Airport in two months.
A drug mule, who had just landed from São Paulo and was connecting to Nigeria on Friday evening (13 September… pic.twitter.com/WDDDAcgFAU
— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) September 14, 2024
“The drug mule, who claims he is a street vendor in Nigeria, claims he was in Brazil to buy clothes and shoes which he sells in his home country. Police are investigating this aspect to prove that this may be used as a decoy by this drug trafficker,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
The suspect, claiming to be a street vendor, said he was in Brazil to buy clothes and shoes.
A manhunt for the cleaner is underway.
In the past two months, over R13 million worth of drugs have been seized at the airport, with nine arrests made, Mathe said.
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Picture: X/@AthlendaM
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
