Over R18m worth of ephedrine (crystal meth) was found hidden in three bags at OR Tambo International Airport today.
The bags, which were retrieved from the carousel, had arrived on a flight from Lagos.
Vigilant Customs officials noticed they were each marked with green tape and it seemed that their baggage tags had been tampered with, indicating they belonged to different passengers.
However, none of the labels corresponded to anyone on the flight.
The bags were then sent for scanning, using the new high-tech baggage scanner, which was installed at ORTIA in July this year.
The image revealed what seemed to be dense blocks inside the bags. When the bags were opened, Customs officials discovered hairpieces covering several small square parcels wrapped in foil and cloth.
The 17 packets, which contained crystal meth valued at R18 630 000, were handed over to the SAPS.
The new, more effective non-intrusive scanner has already proven highly successful as part of Customs’ inspection processes since it was installed earlier this year.
This is a major bust by SARS Customs who implement daily inspections at all Ports of Entry in an effort to foil the smuggling of prohibited goods.
