Drugs worth R42 million seized at South Africa’s busiest airport

The South African Police Service (SAPS) intercepted a shipment of cocaine valued at around R28 million at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), adding to the drug busts worth R13.9 million during the 2025/2026 financial year.

This was revealed during a parliamentary Q&A, wherein MK Party MP Pinky Mngadi asked the Acting Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, about the street value of drugs confiscated at the airport.

Her question followed the interception of a shipment of 95kg of cocaine at the airport on Friday, 31 July 2026.

According to the police, an intelligence-driven operation was successfully executed at OR Tambo after it received information from SAPS Crime Intelligence’s Border Integrity Unit regarding the suspected drug consignment.

SAPS Visible Policing Unit at OR Tambo International Airport, in collaboration with Customs officials and Menzies Aviation operational members, acted on the received information to intercept the shipment.

“The cargo, which had arrived on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, was intercepted immediately upon arrival at approximately 1 pm,” said SAPS.

“The 95 kilograms of cocaine were seized at the cargo section of OR Tambo International Airport.”

No arrests were made, while investigations remain ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved in the attempted smuggling operation.

SAPS said that they remain committed to disrupting organised criminal networks involved in the illicit drug trade.

The police added that they will continue working with their law enforcement partners to ensure that South Africa’s borders and ports of entry are protected from criminal exploitation.

Drugs worth millions seized at OR Tambo

In her question to Cachalia, Mngadi sought to know the total number and quantities of similar consignments of cocaine and other illicit drugs that have been intercepted at the airport last year.

In response, the Acting Police Minister said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation investigated nine cases involving the interception of cocaine and other illicit drugs at the airport.

These cases resulted in the seizure of the following quantities:

• 2 kilograms of heroin;
• 100 litres of ephedrine;
• 1,000 Mandrax tablets;
• 25.9 kilograms of cocaine

“The estimated conservative street value of the drugs seized is approximately R13.9 million,” explained the Acting Minister.

Africa’s busiest airport

OR Tambo International Airport is not only the busiest in South Africa, but also the busiest on the whole continent, handling over 20 million passengers and 212,000 aircraft movements annually.

According to FlightRadar, the airport handles an average of 550 to 580 total aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per day between domestic, international, regional, and unscheduled flights.

Domestic flights total around 285 movements per day, with the route between Johannesburg and Cape Town the busiest, with 38 to 43 daily flights alone.

Alongside these, the airport handles around 188 international movements per day, as well as 58 regional movements.

The airport can handle around 50 unscheduled or charter movements per day as well, bringing the average daily passengers to between 55,000 and 65,000.