GAUTENG – A Brazilian national was remanded in custody following his court appearance at the Kempton Park Magistrates Court, after being caught attempting to smuggle 4 kg of cocaine into South Africa.
According to South African Police Service, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, Risclif Tadue Ramos, aged 36, was arrested last Friday at OR-Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) during a targeted operation by the Hawks’ Organised Crime Investigation team. Acting on intelligence, a multidisciplinary team intercepted Ramos as he disembarked from a flight from Brazil, finding him with no checked luggage but carrying drugs wrapped around his body. After a body search at the ORTIA police station, with the help of an interpreter, Ramos admitted to possession of the drugs. He has been charged under the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act and is scheduled for a bail hearing on July 30, 2024. Major General Kadwa praised the coordination and vigilance of the law enforcement teams involved in the arrest.