South African Airways (SAA) crew to be questioned over drugs haul

South African Airways LogoLondon - British investigators were Wednesday set to question 15 members of a South African Airways (SAA) crew after large amounts of drugs were found in luggage aboard a plane at London's Heathrow airport.

The arrests of 10 women and five men from the flight and cabin crew were made Tuesday after the plane touched down in London from Johannesburg.

Customs authorities at the airport said Wednesday 50 kilograms of cannabis, estimated to be worth 150,000 pounds (208,000 dollars), and four kilograms of cocaine worth
160,000 pounds were found in baggage.

According to customs officials, the cannabis was in three pieces of baggage, with the cocaine also packed in one of the bags.

Officers from the UK Border Agency (UKBA), a new force set up to control smuggling and illegal immigration, seized the cannabis after the flight came in early Tuesday.

However, a further search revealed a white powder which tested positive for cocaine, they said. Early reports Tuesday evening had said that only cannabis had been discovered. (dpa)

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