Cape Town airport drug bust: Woman caught with 70 cocaine bullets from Brazil

A 32-year-old woman is expected to appear in court soon after she was arrested for possession of drugs at the Cape Town International Airport. 

The Western Cape spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi, said a tipoff was received of a passenger en route to Cape Town from Brazil. 

Vukubi said a multi-disciplinary intelligence-led operation comprising of the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau(SANEB), Border Management Authority, Customs Cape Town International Airport, and the SAPS members based at the airport resulted in the arrest of the suspect for dealing in drugs on Wednesday, July 23, 2025.

“On July 22, 2025, intelligence was received regarding a female suspect who was allegedly en route to Cape Town from Brazil,” Vukubi said. 

“Information was operationalised, and the suspect was identified and stopped at the Cape Town International Airport. When searched, cocaine bullets were found in her possession, and it was established that she had swallowed other unknown quantity of cocaine. She has since been arrested and sent to a medical facility in an attempt to retrieve the swallowed drugs. In her possession, 70 bullets of cocaine valued at approximately R245,000  were found,” Vukubi said. 

In a separate incident on the same day, Western Cape police arrested four men for possession of drugs in Parkwood.

The provincial police spokesperson, Anelisiwe Manyana, said the suspects were arrested at approximately 6pm by members attached to Operation Shanela II and Grassy Park Crime Prevention Unit. 

The suspects are aged between 24 and 64. 

“A large quantity of cocaine valued at approximately R500,000 was confiscated during the operation. The suspects are expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s court once formal charges have been laid,” Manyana said. 

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL