Pretoria – A 29-year-old Latvian man appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court after he was allegedly caught with drugs worth R2.15 million.
Raitis Dreijers was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park on Friday, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Colonel Philani Nkwalase said.
“The case against a 29-year-old Latvian man, Raitis Dreijers was heard (on Monday) in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court following his arrest at the OR Tambo International Airport on Friday 19 May 2023,” Nkwalase said.
The Hawks said a consignment of cocaine drugs worth R2.15m, soaked and dried into rugs packed inside his luggage was uncovered.
During his court appearance on Monday, Dreijers abandoned his bid to be released on bail.
“The Latvian man abandoned his bail application today (Monday) and the case was postponed to 31 August for further investigation,” said Nkwalase.
On Sunday, the Hawks said Dreijers was arrested at the international airport shortly after arriving in South Africa from Brazil.
“It is alleged that the suspect was travelling from Brazil to Johannesburg in South Africa and on arrival, he was escorted to customs for processing after he had been refused entrance into the country by the Department of Home Affairs,” Nkwalase said.
“His bag was searched by customs officers and they found cocaine soaked and dried into the traveller’s rug weighing 8.6kg, worth approximately R2.15 million.”
The traveller was immediately apprehended by a multidisciplinary team which included officers from crime intelligence, State Security, SARS detector dog unit, Department of Home Affairs, and the Hawks.
Nkwalase said the drugs were seized for further investigation.
In October last year, a 23-year-old woman was arrested after she arrived in South Africa, from Brazil, carrying cocaine with an estimated value of about R1.4m.
At the time, police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the woman was arrested when she landed at OR Tambo International Airport.
“Police officers attached to the monitoring and interception section of the Gauteng crime intelligence (unit) have arrested a 23-year-old foreign woman who allegedly attempted to smuggle drugs into the country,” Netshiunda said.
“Intelligence information was gathered about the suspect, who boarded a flight from Brazil to South Africa via Doha. During the search police found 3.6kg of cocaine with an estimated value of R1.4million.”
IOL