Case against airport staff postponed

Five OR Tambo International Airport workers arrested in a multimillion-rand drug bust will spend the next few days behind bars.

Gauteng police said the case was postponed to November 23.

The accused have been identified as Stanley Nkuna, 33, Justice Mahloma, 44, Madimetje Mahangwhane, 44, Thulani Sibiya, 31, and Fuba Mahlangu, 40.

They appeared briefly in the Kempton Park magistrate’s court where they are were charged with drug trafficking, contravention of the Civil Aviation Act and contravention of the Customs and Excise Act.

“The quintet is alleged to have had a hand in a R500m drug bust where five 100kg bags were recovered in Australia on October 7,” said police spokesperson Col Katlego Mogale.

Airport staff ‘linked to drug network’ are from maintenance and safety departments
One of the OR Tambo International Airport workers arrested during a drug trafficking investigation by the Hawks is employed in the safety department …
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“They were arrested on November 15 in a joint operation led by the [Hawks] in concert with the Australian federal police, Ekurhuleni metropolitan police, Airports Company South Africa, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Menzies Aviation and Swissport.”

Some of the accused were arrested at the airport while others were apprehended in Thembisa and Boksburg.

Mogale said the Hawks did not rule out the possibility of more arrests.

Acsa said on Friday one of the accused is employed in its safety department while another works in its electrical maintenance department.

Two of the suspects are employees of Menzies Aviation and one works for Swissport. Menzies Aviation manages the global transportation of high-value and time-critical cargo, while Swissport is an aviation services company that provides cargo handling services to Acsa.

Source Times Live