Following the arrest of a woman on Friday with cocaine hidden in seven bras she was wearing to carry the weight, security staff at OR Tambo International Airport discovered three more bricks of cocaine on Saturday.
Security staff on Saturday found three bricks of cocaine believed to be linked to Friday’s arrest of the woman with the drug concealed in her underwear.
After detaining the suspect with the cocaine concealment on Friday, security staff searched her three travelling companions and offloaded their checked-in luggage for further scrutiny. No drugs were found and the three were allowed to board their flight.
Security staff remained suspicious and expanded their search on Saturday morning. A cleaner called security staff to a women‘s bathroom close to the security checkpoint after finding suspicious packages at the bottom of a sanitary bin.
The packages were wrapped in the same material as the 1.04kg of cocaine found on the woman on Friday. It was established that the packages contained 1.34kg of cocaine which was handed to the police.
Bongiwe Pityi, general manager of OR Tambo International Airport, congratulated the security staff and the cleaning contractors.
Airport spokesperson Leigh Gunkel-Keuler said: “For our staff, it is always pleasing when simply doing their work in the normal way yields results.”
The woman arrested on Friday was bound to travel to the Seychelles. She was arrested after she attempted to clear a security checkpoint with two concealed bricks of cocaine.
Airport spokesperson Leigh Gunkel-Keuler said at about 11.40am on Friday the attention of the security team at the central search point of Terminal A was drawn to a passenger with what appeared to be an unusual body shape.
The team requested a private search in terms of the legal procedures. During the search, security staff discovered two bricks containing cocaine concealed by seven additional brassieres. The estimated weight of the cocaine is 1,04kg.
“We are fast approaching the festive season and it is very common for criminals to use this period to their advantage. Criminal behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances. The safety and security of all passengers and customers using airport facilities is of paramount importance to the management of OR Tambo International Airport,” says Gunkel-Keuler.
Passengers are encouraged to be vigilant at all times and should report any unusual or criminal behaviour to the police or security personnel at the airport.
It is essential for passengers to take responsibility for their bags and to keep them close and in view at all times.
“We appreciate that at busy holiday times some people may be tempted to offer or to take short cuts. We urge airport users not to offer or pay bribes and to report suspicious activity. People should also be aware that the law provides for prosecution not only of those soliciting bribes, but also of those who offer them or pay them.”
