X-ray reveals ‘cocaine bullets’ found in stomach of woman stopped at airport

A woman arrested at one of South Africa’s busiest airports has been accused of being a “drug mule” after X-rays revealed dozens of pellets of what police believe is cocaine in her stomach.

The unnamed 30-year-old Namibian woman was stopped and arrested at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport after police received a tipoff she was allegedly trying to smuggle drugs in on a flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Officers intercepted her on Sunday as she made her way through the airport.

This is the tenth alleged drug smuggler to be arrested at the same airport in the last two months, police said, adding that just last week a Nigerian national was arrested facing similar allegations.

After her arrest, the woman was taken to a local hospital where an X-ray revealed objects in her stomach that were seemingly swallowed.

Under police guard, she “released” 68 “bullets” of suspected cocaine – totalling a weight of around 850g, South African police said.

“Our men and women in blue are hard at work intercepting hardened criminals. South Africa is not a playground for criminals and transnational organised crime. We are squeezing the space for criminals and leaving nothing to chance,” said national commissioner of the South African police service General Fannie Masemola.

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The woman is due to appear in court on 25 September, charged with drug dealing and drug possession.