R18m worth of tik found at OR Tambo Airport

The bags, which were retrieved  from the carousel, had arrived on a flight from Lagos,Bedfordview Edenvale News reported.

Customs officials noticed they were each of the bags were marked with green tape and it seemed their baggage tags had been tampered with, indicating they belonged to different passengers. However, none of the labels corresponded to anyone on the flight.

The bags were then sent for scanning, and what seemed to be dense blocks inside the bags were revealed. When the bags were opened, Customs officials discovered hairpieces covering several small square parcels wrapped in foil and cloth.

The 17 packets, which contained crystal meth were handed over to the police.

Last month, tik worth over R8 million was discovered hidden in the lining of a passenger’s baggage at the airport.

SARS spokesperson Luther Lebelo said a female passenger who had just disembarked from a flight from Dubai was stopped and her bag was scanned.

“The customs officer grew suspicious as her bag only had a few items and yet was particularly heavy, so her luggage was sent for a further search,” he said in a statement.

Lebelo said after unpacking the bag Customs officers scanned the bag again and detected a “concentrated matter”.

“Officers also noticed a strong scent of glue so decided to cut the lining. They then discovered 26.8 kilograms of tik, worth R8 040 000 concealed underneath the lining,” he said.

The passenger and her luggage were handed over to South African Police Service for further investigation, Lebelo said. “This is the second seizure of crystal meth at OR Tambo in two consecutive days.”

– Caxton News Service