Brazilian bust at OR Tambo with R825k worth of cocaine in his stomach

Jelani Hasan James has been sentenced to ten years in prison at the Kempton Park Magistrate court.

FILE PICTURE: Cocaine.

A Brazilian man who was bust with cocaine bullets in his stomach valued at R825,000 has been sentenced to ten years in prison for drug dealing at the Kempton Park Magistrate Court.

Jelani Hasan James, 23, was handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in March, 2018, after X-rays confirmed that he had swallowed 55 bullets of cocaine following his arrival at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on a flight from Sao Paulo.

According to a media statement from National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, on the same day James was sentenced, Friday, January 18, a woman was randomly searched at OR Tambo which led to an x-ray check-up that revealed “foreign objects” in her stomach. She has been arrested for drug dealing and will be appearing in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court this morning.

The statement says a “multi-disciplinary task team” has been set up to deal with crimes at the airport, including members of home affairs, Sars, Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD), Airports Company South Africa (Acasa) and the department of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

“There has been breakthrough made as a result of the on-going integrated multi-disciplinary proactive fight against crime at the OR Tambo International Airport, especially the proliferation of drugs coming into and through the airport,” according to the statement.

“The law enforcement agencies at [the airport) have no space for drug dealers/peddlers in this country. These substances and their precursors are ravaging our communities and such arrests bear testimony to the commitment of this team to rid this country of drugs and drug dealers.”

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