Experts said the masterminds behind the recruitment of drug mules are very organised syndicates.
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has commended the collaboration between SAPS Gauteng counter-narcotics intelligence and the Ethiopian Federal Police after a female South African drug trafficker was arrested in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A team from Gauteng counter-narcotics covert intelligence flagged a South African woman aged 29, through SAPS Interpol, on suspicion that the woman was travelling to Brazil to collect drugs and fly back to SA via several countries.
The woman indeed travelled to Brazil from OR Tambo International Airport during the first week of October.
According to the drug trafficker’s itinerary, she was supposed to travel from Brazil via Addis Ababa via Sudan and back to South Africa.
SAPS intelligence promptly notified the Ethiopian Federal Police of her movements.
On arrival at Addis Ababa on Saturday, she was flagged, and her luggage was checked, which confirmed that she was carrying 13 kg of cocaine.
She was immediately apprehended and is expected to be charged and appear in court in Ethiopia.
Masemola applauded the determination and meticulous operationalisation of information by SAPS Gauteng intelligence, SA Interpol, and the Ethiopian Federal Police.
“The cooperation between SAPS and the Ethiopian Federal Police must be commended. When African police organisations unite, more can and will be achieved by working together. We are stamping the authority of the state on a larger scale and sending out a clearer message that the long arm of the law will find you, no matter which route you utilise to try and traffic drugs into South Africa,” said Masemola.
“We are intensifying our fight against transnational organised crime and the trafficking of drugs. SAPS intelligence is relentless in their pursuit to be one step ahead of criminals, this is commendable.”
He said through Interpol SA, SAPS Gauteng counter-narcotics covert intelligence will work closely with the Ethiopian Federal Police to investigate the masterminds behind this consignment.
At OR Tambo International Airport, police make notable drug mule arrests each week. As of right now, 14 traffickers are in jail or prison, suffering harsh consequences for their heinous actions.
Willem Els, senior training coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), stated that the highly organised gangs are the masterminds driving the recruiting.
He brought up the wife of the former State Security minister, Sheryl Cwele, who was charged with being a recruiter, to “The Star”.
These people are incredibly powerful and have tentacles extending into higher echelons of authority. Els added: “They’re also quite well protected.”
He claimed that masterminds tend to focus on young people, particularly women, but that may change now that they are being profiled.
“The main objective is money, especially quick money. So if you can, risk yourself for a few $1 000 to be a mule and you get away with it, it’s quick money. But if you don’t get away with it, of course, it’s a big, big problem for you,” Els said.
He praised the efforts of all the authorities engaged in the operation, particularly Interpol.
One of the most popular ways to transport narcotics, according to Wendy Pascoe, senior/lead investigator Pascoe Investigations PTY LTD, is through the use of drug mules — people who travel with drugs concealed on their person or in their possession.
Regretfully, she stated, young women are among the most susceptible demographics that these criminal organisations target.
“We have to realise that the hiring of drug mules is a planned, well-executed procedure.
“These criminal organisations have a network of individuals who work together to identify potential candidates, lure them in with promises of money and adventure, and then exploit them for their own gain,” said Pascoe.
She stated that the perception of young women as easy prey is one of the primary causes of their targeting.
“Many of these girls come from impoverished backgrounds with limited opportunities, making them more susceptible to falling prey to false promises of wealth and a better life. These criminal organisations exploit their vulnerabilities and offer them a chance to escape poverty and live a luxurious life.
“These masterminds often use tactics like manipulation, coercion, and even threats to recruit young women. They may also use social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook to target vulnerable girls and establish connections with them. In some cases, they may even pose as potential love interests to gain their trust before revealing their true intentions,” she said.
According to Pascoe, a significant element in this recruitment’s effectiveness is young women’s ignorance of the risks involved in being drug mules.
“Many of these girls are unaware of the severity of the consequences they may face if caught with drugs. They are often promised that nothing will happen to them and that they will be protected by their recruiters. However, the reality is far from it,” said Pascoe.
She cautioned people that if they were caught, their lives will change.
“When caught, you never really come back from something like that. You have a criminal record, jail trauma, a lot happens to you as an individual,” she said.
The Star