A female security guard has been arrested in Johannesburg, followingthe discovery of large quantities of marijuana and cocaine on a SouthAfrican Airways aircraft at London's Heathrow Airport. The guard wasarrested drug trafficking charges.
The female guard is one of 16security personnel on duty clearing flight personnel for an SAA flightthat left Johannesburg for Heathrow late Monday. Flight personnel,while undergoing the same security checks as passengers, do so at adifferent location in the O.R. Tambo airport complex.
FifteenSouth African air crew members from the flight were arrested atHeathrow early Tuesday, following the discovery of 50 kilograms ofmarijuana and four kilograms of cocaine in three bags, thought tobelong to one or more of the crew. All 15 were subsequently releasedon bail without charge, but must return to London in March to facebeing charged.
SAA spokesperson Robyn Chalmers told South African radio the local arm of the investigation is proceeding well.
"Sothe investigation is moving very swiftly, which we are very pleasedabout, and hopefully we will be able to get to the bottom of this quitesoon," she said.
Chalmers added that the South Africa Police Service is working closely with British authorities in the investigation.
"Ibelieve that the police investigation in London is still [ongoing], butI think that the [South African Police Service] will be in closecontact with the authorities in the United Kingdom. They also havepeople in the United Kingdom that they will be working with," she said.
O.R. Tambo airport, formerly Johannesburg airport, hasfor several years been notorious for poor security, with police foilingmany attempts to smuggle drugs, money, and endangered wildlife andwildlife products. But it was widely believed that those casesrepresented the tip of the iceberg. The airport was also known for thetheft of passengers' bags and valuable items such as cameras and mobilephones.
But in the past few years, as the airport has beenupgraded in advance of the 2010 FIFE World Cup, a lot of work has beendone to improve security. Now, Chalmers says, those processes arebeing revisited.
"One of the things that we are doing, as I havementioned, is to do a complete review of our processes. So, we need togo back and examine every single, solitary element of it to make surethat it is up to speed," she said.
South Africa is a majorproducer of illegal marijuana, and is a known trans-shipment center forheroin, hashish and cocaine. Following years when marijuana andmethaqualone were the major illicit drugs consumed in the country, itnow has a severe problem with the use of methamphetamine and a risingconsumption of cocaine and heroin.
Studies say in South Africa the illegal drug trade is closely linked to money laundering and organized crime.
