A 60-year-old woman arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport with dagga worth R400,000 made her first appearance in court and is still behind bars awaiting bail.
Janine Ann Van Zyl appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s earlier this week, facing a charge of dealing in drugs.
Speaking about the court appearance, the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (known as Hawks) spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Katlego Mogale, said Van Zyl has a previous conviction.
He said the matter was postponed to November 20 for a formal bail application.
Van Zyl was arrested on Sunday in the smoking lounge of the OR Tambo Airport by the Hawks.
Mogale said crime intelligence received information about a suspected drug mule who was about to board a flight headed for Doha.
“The information was operationalised, and the identified suspect had already checked in when the team arrived.
“The passenger was located in the smoking lounge while her luggage was intercepted at the boarding gate.
“Upon opening the luggage, eight blocks (weighing 1kg each) of compressed dagga were found between her clothes.”
Mogale said the team also confiscated the suspect’s cellphone for further investigation.
IOL News