R1.5m worth of drugs from Germany seized at OR Tambo Airport

The Gauteng Hawks confiscated drugs worth R1.5 million at OR Tambo International Airport this week. 

Spokesperson Colonel Philani Nkwalase said a courier company alerted authorities to 11 bags of suspected drugs that were wrapped in plastic. 

He told News24 the parcel had been shipped from Germany to South Africa. The sender and intended receiver were under a police investigation, he added.

"It's known that they came from Germany destined for RSA. Now persons involved, the sender and receiver, are a subject of our investigation, and the type of drug itself, which the SAPS forensic laboratory will determine," he said. 

Nkwalase said police hadn't made any arrests. 

Provincial Hawks head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa said the drug seizure had "crippled the operations of the drug syndicate" and praised the courier company for its vigilance and for alerting the authorities.