Police report arrest of Namibian woman at airport with belly full of drugs

• A woman was reportedly on vacation in Brazil with her Nigerian boyfriend, who convinced her to swallow drugs for smuggling.

• Brigadier Athlenda Mathe of the South African Police Service reported that Mbangula had successfully disposed of 68 suspected cocaine capsules by noon yesterday.

A Namibian woman named Pauline Mbangula was apprehended in South Africa on Sunday after an airport X-ray screening allegedly detected drugs concealed within her stomach.

It is reported that she was on vacation in Brazil with her Nigerian boyfriend, who persuaded her to transport drugs by ingesting them.

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, a representative of the South African Police Service (SAPS), informed Namibian Sun that Mbangula had expelled 68 capsules of suspected cocaine by noon the following day.

“She will be taken to the hospital to ensure all capsules have been expelled. She is under close observation and has not been placed in a cell because she needs to eliminate the drugs from her system,” Mathe stated.

Mbangula, aged 30, is said to have traveled from Luanda to Brazil with her boyfriend, who led her to believe they were embarking on a vacation. Upon their arrival, he convinced her to swallow the drugs.

Upon their return to South Africa, she was expected to meet an accomplice, whose identity remains unknown to the authorities, who would assist her in navigating the checkpoints, as explained by Mashadi Selepe, another spokesperson for SAPS, during an interview with Namibian national broadcaster NBC.

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