JOHANNESBURG — The South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested a 23-year-old South African woman on Friday, June 26, 2026, on charges of drug dealing at OR Tambo International Airport.
Acting on operational intelligence, Border Police identified the suspect as she prepared to board a direct international flight to Tokyo. Preliminary investigations indicate the suspect had initially traveled on a domestic route before returning to the airport to continue her journey internationally.
Following her interception, the suspect underwent a medical examination where X-rays confirmed the presence of suspected drug-filled capsules inside her body. At the time of her arrest, the woman had passed 28 suspected capsules. The recovery process remains ongoing under strict medical supervision.
All recovered exhibits have been booked into the SAPS exhibit management system for forensic analysis. The exact type and street value of the suspected narcotics will be determined once testing is completed.
The suspect remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday, June 29, 2026, facing charges relating to dealing in drugs.
The operation underscores the SAPS’s ongoing mandate to disrupt transnational drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from moving through South Africa’s ports of entry.