COPS busted a cocaine smuggling attempt at Cape Town International Airport on Sunday when a Brazilian woman was caught carrying drugs both in her sports bag and concealed in her body.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi said that the suspect arrived on a flight from Brazil on 16 March when she was identified and searched.
Vukubi says: "South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) members, along with the Border Police at Cape Town International Airport, followed up on the information. The suspect was identified and upon searching, cocaine was found hidden inside a sports bag.
Further investigation revealed that the woman had also ingested an unknown quantity of drug pellets.
Vukubi confirmed: "She is currently in hospital in an attempt to remove the swallowed drugs.”
The woman is expected to appear before the Bellville Magistrates Court today on drug trafficking charges.
The Hawks commended the collaborative efforts of SANEB, Border Police, Customs, Home Affairs, and forensic experts in securing the arrest.
This brings the total of drug mules from Brazil intercepted at South African airports to close to two dozen since September last year.
Mules have been known to swallow pellets of drugs, which puts their lives in danger.
Last October, a Paraguayan national, who was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Gauteng, released more than 117 capsules of drugs.
The man, who arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was bleeding on releasing the pellets.
At the time, deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said: “Every time this release happens, there would be a bleeding which can be a health issue that is happening and they have stopped that operation to rush him to the hospital for medical treatment.
“It is risky to swallow the tablets. This recent case is showing that if you do swallow, there are strong possibilities of a loss of life in what you are doing.”
“The drugs would be stuck in your body until you reach your destination where you release them. They have a way of releasing them.
“I do not want to talk about that because it might encourage others to do these things, thinking it is an exercise that can be done. It is not a safe exercise at all, it is a medical risk.”