Suspects nabbed during attempted armed robbery at OR Tambo airport

Attempts by 11 suspects planning to carry out an armed robbery at OR Tambo International Airport’s cargo section were thwarted by law enforcement on Friday night.

Intelligence-led operation

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), together with a special task force, a task team from Ekurhuleni, K9 law enforcement and Bad Boy Security, nabbed the suspects after a truck was identified with false registration plates and branding.

ALSO READ: Elderly man nabbed at OR Tambo allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs to India

Intelligence received saw the suspects’ eight-ton truck entering Swissport with the intention of robbing the cargo section.

When teams made their move, the suspects were found concealed behind empty cardboard boxes in the truck.

They were promptly arrested, and three unlicensed firearms, as well as ammunition, cellphones and the truck were seized for further investigation.

ALSO READ: Woman arrested at OR Tambo airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine worth R1.4m

Drug busts

In October, two suspects were arrested at OR Tambo for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country.

In one incident, a 69-year-old allegedly was found in possession of 8kg of pure heroin with an estimated street value of R1.2 million. The substance was allegedly destined for India.

Another arrest involved a 23-year-old foreign woman, who was found with 3.6kg of cocaine estimated to be valued at R1.4 million.