Police have arrested an 11th drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport within a period of two months.
The 21-year-old South African woman had just landed from Sao Paulo on Sunday morning when she was nabbed. An X-ray examination confirmed that she had swallowed bullets containing drugs.
Criminologist Professor Nirmala Gopal, speaking in an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Monday, warned that socioeconomic issues made young people easy targets for drug syndicates.
Gopal said that at times, young people may not be aware of the risk because they have been groomed.
“It must be noted that these are young people who are vulnerable socio economically … desperate, not necessarily understanding the risks of becoming traffickers or mules, that’s one of the reasons they become recruited,” she said.
Gopal added a disclaimer that not all young people who come from impoverished backgrounds would be mules. She said there were powerful rings that profiled and recruited young people.
Meanwhile, police said through Operation Shanela, they had arrested 10 668 suspects from September 23 to Sunday.
The police said they remained relentless in their efforts to deal decisively with crime in the country through detectives and crime intelligence tracing operations, roadblocks as well as stop and searches.
“Police will continue with their operations by asserting the authority of the state to ensure the safety and security of all South Africans and visitors to the country,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Amanda van Wyk
She said all Shanela operations were led by the provincial commissioners of each province.
Last week alone, the following arrests were made: 1 941 wanted suspects were arrested for crimes that included, among others, murder, attempted murder, rape and assault GBH.
About 110 suspects were arrested for murder, 31 of these murder suspects were arrested in the Western Cape province; 113 suspects were arrested for attempted murder; 116 suspects were arrested for rape with 35 of these suspects arrested in Gauteng.
A total of 111 suspects were arrested for being in the illegal possession of firearms; 44 of these suspects were arrested in the Western Cape.
A total of 1 132 suspects were arrested for assault GBH; 460 suspects were arrested for the illegal dealing in liquor, 173 of these arrests were made in Western Cape, while 85 were made in KwaZulu-Natal.
A total of 236 drug dealers were also arrested during this period; 593 drivers were arrested for drunk driving, of which 173 were arrested in Gauteng and about 677 arrested for being in possession of drugs. 150 of these arrests were made in Gauteng while KwaZulu-Natal arrested 149 and Eastern Cape 127.
When it came to recoveries and confiscations, police registered the following successes: 117 firearms were confiscated during operations; 22 of these firearms were confiscated during police operations in Western Cape, while KZN confiscated 22.
About 872 rounds of ammunition were confiscated and 54 hijacked and stolen vehicles were recovered during last week’s operations.
The takedowns and other successes included the arrest of the 21-year-old drug mule in Gauteng.
In the Western Cape, police arrested a 35-year-old suspect in Ruyterwacht for dealing in drugs on September 28 and seized 87 058 mandrax tablets, cocaine and crystal meth worth more than R5 million.
Six alleged extortionists, aged between 21 and 41, were arrested in Tshwane during an intelligence-driven operation on September 25. These suspects reportedly collected money from shops owned by foreign nationals around Akasia and Soshanguve.
Van Wyk said on the same day, police in KZN arrested four alleged extortionists who are now under police guard. The suspects sustained gunshot wounds following a shoot-out with security guards. They are linked to a case of extortion at a construction site in Sydenham.
Police operationalised a tip-off on suspected extortionists operating in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, and successfully intercepted the suspects’ vehicle. The suspects fired gun shots at the police officers, who returned fire. Two suspects were fatally wounded during the shootout.
During a takedown operation, police arrested four males and one female suspect and rescued 29 human trafficking victims in Germiston, Ekurhuleni.
She said Operation Vala Umgodi do record significant successes since its activation in December 2023. Last week, 157 illegal miners were arrested, of which 91 were held in Mpumalanga.
The Star