A Dutch national has been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg with khat worth R240 000 neatly concealed in his luggage. The man was on his way to Frankfurt, Germany, when he was intercepted by police this week during an intelligence-driven operation, said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk.
Officers discovered more than 40kg of khat inside his suitcases. The drugs have an estimated street value of R240 000. The man is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday on drug trafficking charges.
Khat Trafficking on the Rise
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, khat is a plant-based stimulant that is widely used in Africa and the Middle East. Its trafficking has been on the rise in recent years, with many countries, including South Africa, struggling to combat the problem.
Over the past two years, SAPS has intercepted and arrested more than 50 drug mules at the OR Tambo International Airport, said Van Wyk. Police continue to intensify efforts to combat transnational organised crime and drug trafficking through such operations at all ports of entry across the country.
Recent Arrests
In recent weeks, drugs worth hundreds of thousands of rand have been seized and mules apprehended at SA’s busiest airport. Last month, officers acted on intelligence about suspected traffickers en route to Frankfurt and London via Doha, resulting in the arrest of a 66-year-old Somali national, allegedly travelling on a Dutch passport.
A total of 55kg of khat with an estimated street value exceeding R100 000 was discovered in their luggage. That same day, police found abandoned luggage at the airport containing about 45kg of khat, valued at more than R90 000.
Days earlier, a 33-year-old South African woman en route to Hong Kong was arrested with cocaine and crystal methamphetamine worth more than R500 000 concealed inside her luggage. The following are some of the recent drug busts at OR Tambo:
- 40kg of khat worth R240 000
- 55kg of khat worth R100 000
- 45kg of khat worth R90 000
- Cocaine and crystal methamphetamine worth R500 000
