A 48-year-old foreign national was arrested on June 24, 2025, at OR Tambo International Airport for attempting to smuggle approximately 2 kilograms of heroin out of South Africa.
The suspect’s arrest came as part of a meticulously coordinated operation led by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) team, working closely with the SAPS Flying Squad, K9 Unit, Transnational Organised Crime Unit, and airport Crime Prevention Officers.
According to Warrant Officer Thathohatsi Mavimbela, spokesperson for the Gauteng Hawks, the multi-agency team acted swiftly on intelligence indicating a passenger planning to traffic drugs to Ghana.
At the airport, officers identified the suspect and, after obtaining consent to search his luggage, found the heroin cleverly concealed within. The suspect was immediately detained and is due to appear before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on June 26, 2025.
Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, Gauteng Hawks Provincial Head, lauded the swift and effective collaboration of all units involved and encouraged the public to continue providing information that could help dismantle criminal syndicates and drug trafficking networks.
This arrest underscores ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking through South Africa’s busiest airport, a critical node in international crime networks.
