A Nigerian national was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday night after police discovered cocaine hidden inside headphones.
The man had just arrived from São Paulo, Brazil, and was about to board a connecting flight to Nigeria when authorities swooped in.
Police Speak On Nigerian Drug Mule Busted At OR Tambo With Cocaine Stashed In Headphones
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the arrest came after the man suspiciously met with an airport cleaner:
“This drug mule had just landed from São Paulo and was connecting to Nigeria when he met with a cleaner at the airport and handed him airline headphones. Suspecting that there was something amiss, the team opened the aircraft headphones and found cocaine stashed in the headphones.”
The suspect claimed to be a street vendor in Nigeria, telling police he had been in Brazil to buy clothes and shoes for resale back home.
However, investigators are not convinced, with Mathe suggesting this may be a cover for his alleged role in drug trafficking.
“Police are investigating this aspect to see if this excuse is a decoy to actually traffic drugs,” she added.
The cleaner who was involved in the exchange managed to slip away after realising police were closing in. A manhunt has been launched to find him.
The Recent Drug Busts
This arrest is the latest in a string of drug busts at OR Tambo International Airport. Police have seized over R13 million worth of drugs at the airport in the past two months, including R12 million worth of cocaine. They nabbed nine suspected drug mules during this period, according to police reports.
South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola issued a stern warning to criminals.
“These arrests and drug confiscations should serve as a deterrent to other drug traffickers, that they will be caught,” he said.