Security expert warns drug traffickers have 'free ride' at OR Tambo

Gauteng police have seized drugs worth nearly R3 million in two separate operations at OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg.

Officers intercepted crystal meth, street name 'tik', valued at R2.2 million, which was allegedly en route to the Philippines, along with dagga worth almost R700,000 that had been shipped from Morocco.

The busts place the spotlight on the airport as a prime gateway for international drug trafficking.

Willem Els, a crime expert and senior training coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies, says major transport hubs are often prime targets for organised crime.

"If you look at OR Tambo International Airport, we see that we've got more than 90 foreign destinations from OR Tambo per day, and also it's a hub because of its connectivity from other countries, like, for instance, South America towards Asia and Europe."

He explains that traffickers frequently rely on OR Tambo to break up a longer drug route.

"They want to break up their flights, so your direct flights, for example, South America to Dubai, are under scrutiny, so they fly from Sao Paulo to Joburg, break up the flight and then from Joburg they traffic the goods up to Dubai."

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But Els warns that OR Tambo is being targeted because of the very nature of the airport, and indeed the country. There are very high levels of corruption at play, he says.

"Because of the nature of our very fibre that is being exposed by the Madlanga Commission and the Ad Hoc commission, organised crime syndicates operate up to the highest level... at the end of the day there's a lot of money going around... these people almost have a free ride because of the level of compromising of your personnel and insiders at the airport."

A similar situation is playing out in places like Schipol Airport in the Netherlands as well as in Addis Ababa, Els explains.

Ultimately, he says, stopping airports like OR Tambo from becoming crime hotspots requires intelligence cooperation between local police and their international counterparts.

"If you look at the recent successes of the drug mules who have been intercepted, and these recent interceptions, it's an indication that the intelligence is improving."

To listen to Els in conversation with 702/CapeTalk's Africa Melane, use the audio player below: