Zambian woman busted for trafficking in cocaine through South Africa

POLICE authorities in South Africa have confirmed that members of the South African Police Service’s Transnational Investigation Team arrested a 44-year-old woman travelling on a Zambian-issued passport for attempting to smuggle into the country 1.595 kg of cocaine that was hidden in the false compartment of her luggage.

This is contained in a statement issued by Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo of the South African Police Service yesterday.

The suspect, whose passport movements show that she left Zambia early this month for India, has been named as Hildah Malaya and was coming from Mumbai via Addis Ababa when she was arrested by the team at the OR Tambo International Airport yesterday afternoon.

The estimated value of her drugs was found to be R478, 500, 00 (four hundred and seventy eight thousand rand or US$31,681.72).

She has been charged with dealing in drugs and is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 27 June 2016.