On 11 October, SARS Customs officers intercepted 47 bricks of compressed cocaine, worth an estimated R25 million, at OR Tambo International Airport. The drugs, weighing approximately 50 kg, were found in an unaccompanied luggage bag on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, bound for Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The suspicious bag was flagged by Customs officers and airport security. Upon inspection, the bricks tested positive for cocaine. Although no arrests have been made, the South African Police Service (SAPS) is now investigating the case.

Sao Paulo is a known high-risk point for drug mules and unaccompanied luggage carrying narcotics. SARS Commissioner warned that an inter-agency effort, involving SARS Customs, the SAPS, Border Management Authority, Airports Company, and the Department of Home Affairs, is actively working to combat drug trafficking and safeguard citizens. “This coordinated approach is yielding results, with recent arrests and drug busts helping to protect our communities, especially the youth,” Kieswetter said.