The women were arrested at the OR Tambo International airport in Kempton Park on Saturday (28/3) during a joint operation between the police and the Airports Company South Africa. They were arrested while preparing to board a flight out of the country.

The arrests form part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement authorities to clamp down on drug trafficking networks operating through South Africa’s major transport hubs.

“A preliminary report suggests the suspects were en route to China via Dubai,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk. “A thorough search led to the discovery of drugs concealed on the suspects’ bodies in multiple ways.

The drugs were concealed inside their sneakers, underwear, and private parts. ”Investigations into the matter are ongoing.”

Drug trafficking

All five women will appear in court, where they will face charges related to drug trafficking, she said.

At the beginning of this month, police seized drugs at OR Tambo with a street value of R2.8m. During routine day-to-day operations, the first discovery of crystal meth worth R2.2 million was made at a cargo warehouse on Wednesday, 4 March.

“The meth was destined for the Philippines from South Africa,” said national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe. 

“The second drug bust was made at another cargo warehouse where eight boxes containing dagga worth R672,000 were discovered on Thursday, 5 March. The dagga was shipped from Morocco and was destined for South Africa.”

Northern Cape

Meanwhile, a Northern Cape woman will appear in the Upington Magistrate’s Court soon after more than half a million rand worth of dagga was found in her possession.

The woman was arrested at a fuel station in Upington on Friday (20/3) after a search of her three bags revealed dagga with an estimated street value of R670,500.

The latest arrest comes amid growing concern over the rise in drug-related crimes across the Northern Cape. During the release of the third quarter crime statistics for the 2025/2026 financial year at the Office of the Premier on Friday, it was revealed that drug-related offences in the province have increased by 27.4%.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame dg sm

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