OR Tambo 'a hub for drug mules'

LUCRATIVE: SA A KEY TRANSIT POINT FOR SYNDICATES

- Thando Nondywana

The recent spate of drug mule arrests at OR Tambo International Airport has reignited debate about South Africa's role as a key transit point for international drug syndicates.

The 14 arrests over a four-month period since August, including one arrested at the weekend, suggest a coordinated operation to move illicit substances through one of Africa's busiest airports, OR Tambo International, said Institute for Security Studies (ISS) crime expert Willem Els.

"Drug trafficking is one of the most visible transnational organised crimes perpetrated by international organised criminal groups," he said.

"The organised crime syndicates facilitating these activities are feeding off each other. If one syndicate moves in, others follow, creating a criminal environment."

Police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk said the 43-year-old female was arrested on arrival at the airport.

"The drug mule was taken to a local hospital where a medical X-ray revealed the presence of foreign objects in her stomach," she said.