'I went to Brazil for a scholarship' - alleged drug mule tells court

A 21-year-old alleged drug mule is expected to apply for bail at Kempton Park magistrate’s court on Tuesday.

Mmantwa Tshabalala was arrested on September 29 after landing at the OR Tambo International Airport from São Paulo in Brazil. She made her first court appearance about two weeks ago.

Her family told Sowetan they were shocked to learn about her arrest as they thought she had secured a learnership in Brazil, which was her reason for moving to São Paulo.

National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said at the time that Tshabalala was the 11th drug mule to be arrested in the past three months.

At the time of her arrest, it was reported that she had ingested the highest quantity that police at the airport had seen in the past eight years.

However, days after her arrest deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili said a 43-year-old man who had also been arrested at OR Tambo had passed about 117 drug “bullets”, each weighing about 10grams.

"That is a huge amount for a person to consume. Every time a bullet came out, it came with traces of blood, which is an indication that there is a medical challenge in the stomach.

“He has been rushed to hospital after health complications. The releasing process has been stopped,” she said.

moloih@sowetan.co.za

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