SA ‘drug trafficker’ bust in Ethiopia en route to Joburg with 13kg of cocaine

An alleged South African drug trafficker was arrested in Ethiopia after being caught with R5.4m worth of drugs intended to come into SA from Brazil. 

The woman, 29, was arrested on Saturday after Gauteng police flagged her through Interpol SA on suspicion she was returning via different countries from collecting the drugs from Brazil.

Through a collaborative effort with the Ethiopian federal police in Addis Ababa, the woman was confirmed to have travelled to Brazil from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in the first week of October, said police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe.

According to the alleged drug trafficker’s itinerary, she was supposed to travel from Brazil via Addis Ababa and Sudan to return back to SA, Mathe said.

“Police intelligence immediately notified the Ethiopian federal police about her movements. On arrival at Addis Ababa on [Saturday], she was flagged and her luggage was checked, which confirmed she was carrying 13kg of cocaine.”

The woman was immediately arrested and is expected to be charged and appear in court in Ethiopia.

National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola applauded the collaborative work by law enforcement, saying this was a clear message that the long arm of the law will find any perpetrator regardless of the route used to try to traffic drugs into the country.

Through Interpol SA, Gauteng police counter narcotics covert intelligence will work closely with the Ethiopian federal police to locate the mastermind behind the consignment of cocaine.

TimesLIVE