Brazilian nabbed in OR Tambo airport drug bust to serve 10 years in jail

A Brazilian national arrested at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport in March last year has been sentenced to a prison term of 10 years for dealing in drugs.

The Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court handed the sentence to Jelani Hasan James, 23, on Friday after finding him guilty.

James was handed to the police by South African Revenue Service officials at OR Tambo International Airport as he disembarked from a flight on March 29 2018.

“The suspect was then taken for x-rays which revealed a foreign object in his stomach. 

“Upon him releasing the object, it was confirmed that he had swallowed 55 bullets containing cocaine with an estimated street value of R825,000,” said police spokesman Lt-Col Katlego Mogale.