A joint operation between he South African Police Service Gauteng counter narcotics intelligence and the Ethiopian Federal Police has led to the arrest of an alleged drug trafficker in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Police said the woman arrived in Ethiopia on Saturday, where her luggage was flagged and checked. Police recovered 13kg of cocaine, valued at R5.4million.
The SAPS Gauteng team flagged the 29-year-old woman through SAPS Interpol on suspicion that she was travelling to Brazil to collect drugs to bring back to South Africa.
"The woman travelled to Brazil from the OR Tambo International Airport during the first week of October. According to the drug trafficker’s itinerary, she was supposed to travel from Brazil via Addis Ababa via Sudan and back to South Africa.
“Hot on her heels, SAPS intelligence immediately notified the Ethiopian Federal Police about her movements," said national police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.
The woman was arrested and is due to appear in court in Ethiopia.
Mathe added that through Interpol SA, SAPS Gauteng counter narcotics covert intelligence will work closely with the Ethiopian Federal Police to investigate the masterminds behind the consignment.
SAPS national commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, said the cooperation between SAPS and the Ethiopian Federal Police must be commended. He said when African police organisations unite, more can and will be achieved by working together.
"We are stamping the authority of the state on a larger scale and sending out a clearer message that the long arm of the law will find you, no matter which route you utilise to try and traffic drugs into SA. We are intensifying our fight against transnational organised crime and the trafficking of drugs. SAPS intelligence is relentless in their pursuit to be one step ahead of criminals, this is commendable," he said.
The latest arrest comes just a week after police arrested their 14th drug mule. IOL previously reported that a 43-year-old man had been arrested after landed on a flight from Paraguay. A medical examination confirmed that he had ingested more than 20 bullets of drugs.
IOL News