WATCH: Paraguayan drug mule suffers health complications
117 bullets of suspected cocaine were released from the man’s body. The process was stopped when traces of blood was found on the bullets indicating significant “medical challenges”.
Deputy national police commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili has confirmed that the drug mule arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday has been rushed to hospital following a health complication.
“The releasing process has been stopped. To date 117 bullets of suspected cocaine have been released from the man’s body,” said Mosikili.
She added that the process was stopped when traces of blood was found on the bullets indicating significant “medical challenges”.
Also read: Paraguayan man (43) becomes 14th drug mule arrested at ORTIA
Mosikili added that the bullets were each roughly 10g and could be considered as large.
She said this incident must send a strong message to others out there and serve as a deterrent that this exercise is dangerous and can cause loss of life.
The 43-year-old man from Paraguay became the 14th drug mule arrested at OR Tambo International Airport when he was taken into custody on Sunday.
The man landed in South Africa on a flight from São Paulo.
After he was arrested a medical examination confirmed that he had swallowed multiple foreign objects.
By late yesterday afternoon, the man had released more than 20 bullets suspected to contain cocaine from his body.
Also read: TWO MORE drug arrests at OR Tambo International Airport
Every week in the last month, SAPS officers and officials from SARS arrested at least one drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport.
Last week alone, police arrested three drug mules including two Dutch traffickers who were found with 80kg of fresh Khat.
