12th South African bust for drugs

2011-12-13 14:30

Johannesburg - The woman who was arrested in Thailand for hiding cocaine in her dreadlocks was the 12th South African to be caught for drug trafficking in that country this year, according to a report on Tuesday.

"I can confirm that she has been arrested and we've arranged to see her," South Africa's ambassador to Thailand, Douglas Gibson, told SABC radio news.

He said the usual arrangement was to wait for the arrested person to be transferred to prison and then officials would be allowed to see them.

Nolubabalo Nobanda, 23, was searched on Monday when police said they noticed a white substance in her hair shortly after she stepped off a Qatar Airways flight that originated in Sao Paulo and flew through Qatar to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Police found 1.5kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of $150 000 hidden in her dreadlocks.

She apparently admitted to smuggling the drugs and said she had been hired to deliver the drugs to a customer at a hotel in Bangkok.

- SAPA