The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the repeated interceptions of drugs at the OR Tambo International Airport raise concerns about whether the country’s intelligence screening systems are keeping pace with the threat.
The remarks follow Sunday’s interception of cocaine worth more than R200 million at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
#sapsHQ [GENERAL MASEMOLA COMMENDS MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM FOR R200 MILLION COCAINE SEIZURE AT OR TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT]
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has commended a multidisciplinary team comprising the #SAPS, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Customs and the Border Management Authority (BMA) for intercepting five luggage bags containing 216 blocks of cocaine weighing approximately 250 kilograms, with an estimated street value of more than R200 million, at OR Tambo International Airport.
The significant seizure is a testament to the effectiveness of coordinated law enforcement efforts and the commitment of frontline officers to disrupting drug trafficking networks that seek to use South Africa’s ports of entry to move illicit substances.
General Masemola has praised the team for its vigilance and professionalism, emphasising that the SAPS will continue to work closely with its law enforcement partners to identify, intercept and dismantle #DrugTrafficking operations.
The seizure comes amid sustained efforts by law enforcement agencies to clamp down on drug trafficking through the country’s busiest international airport.
Over the past 24 months, a total of 116 drug mules have been arrested at OR Tambo International Airport.
These arrests highlight the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to detect and prevent the transportation of illicit drugs through South Africa’s borders.
The SAPS reiterates its commitment to working with SARS Customs, the BMA and other stakeholders to strengthen border security, disrupt organised criminal networks and ensure that those involved in the illicit drug trade are brought to justice.
#FightingCrime #DrugsOffTheStreets #PartnershipPolicing #SaferCommunities ST
— SA Police Service
(@SAPoliceService) October 25, 2026
The cocaine was stored in 216 separate packages concealed in suitcases.
Police say at least 116 drug mules have been arrested at OR Tambo over the last 24 months.
Lisa Schickerling, DA’s spokesperson, says, “We must certainly distinguish between successfully intercepting the drugs and understanding the full network. South Africa must not become a convenient transport point for international organised crime, which we see happening and growing in our country on a daily basis. Our authorities must work together to close vulnerabilities while ensuring that legitimate travellers and businesses are not unnecessarily disrupted.”
The DA says while it commends law enforcement agencies on the recent drug bust at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, more must be done to successfully dismantle drug trafficking networks.
Schickerling adds, “We need proper crime intelligence. We must make sure that we know where these drugs are coming from. Arresting a drug mule may disrupt one shipment, but it does not necessarily dismantle the organisation behind it, and that’s the concern we have. The people carrying the drugs are often only one link in a much larger criminal network. Investigators must establish who organised the shipment, who financed it, and who facilitated its movement. Because it wasn’t just done once, they’ve arrested quite a few mules, and we know when these people are arrested that this is not likely the first time they’ve done that.”
Video | Massive cocaine haul bust at ORTIA
