Narcotics cases rise as theft declines at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka airports - IOL
Theft remained the most frequently recorded crime at OR Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka International Airports, while narcotics cases increased each year.
Image: Facebook / O.R.Tambo International Airport
General theft and narcotics smuggling remain the dominant security challenges across South Africa’s major aviation hubs — OR Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka international airports —according to newly released parliamentary data spanning three financial years from 2023 to 2026.
Conversely, serious violent crimes such as armed robbery and hijackings remained rare or isolated.
Information regarding theft and narcotics cases came to light after DA MP Lisa-Maré Schickerling submitted parliamentary questions to Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia.
Schickerling asked for details on all criminal and security-related incidents that occurred in the past three financial years at the OR Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka airports relating to baggage handling and baggage pilfering, breaches of aviation security protocols, armed robberies, theft, hijackings, syndicate-related crimes, and narcotics smuggling.
This comes after the country’s primary international airports and air-cargo centres were identified as key zones for organised crime. Across OR Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka airports, 117 narcotics-smuggling cases were registered during the period 2023/2024 to 2025/2026.
Over the same period, annual theft cases declined from 631 to 586, aviation-security breaches declined from 15 to nine, armed robberies declined from four to one, and vehicle hijackings declined from two to zero.
Cachalia clarified that the SAPS can only report on matters formally reported and registered as case dockets; unreported incidents, matters dealt with internally by airport operators or airlines, and intelligence not converted into registered cases are not reflected.
“At OR Tambo International Airport, baggage handling and baggage pilfering incidents are registered under theft-related dockets in the available crime administration data and are, therefore, reflected under theft to avoid double counting. Where no case is reflected as syndicate-related, it means that no case was formally registered under that description for the relevant airport and financial year,” Cachalia said.
During the 2023/2024 financial year, 128 separately identifiable baggage handling and pilfering cases were recorded, with 90 at Cape Town International Airport and 38 at King Shaka International Airport. Theft cases totalled 631, comprising 484 at OR Tambo International Airport, 104 at Cape Town International Airport, and 43 at King Shaka International Airport. Additionally, 28 narcotics smuggling cases were registered, primarily at OR Tambo International Airport (24) and Cape Town International Airport (4).
In the 2024/2025 financial year, 93 baggage handling and pilfering incidents were recorded — 67 at Cape Town International Airport and 26 at King Shaka International Airport. Total theft cases reached 606, including 448 at OR Tambo International Airport, 105 at Cape Town International Airport, and 53 at King Shaka International Airport.
Additionally, 41 narcotics smuggling cases were registered, with 37 at OR Tambo International Airport and 4 at Cape Town International Airport.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, 125 baggage handling and pilfering cases were recorded, with 84 at Cape Town International Airport and 41 at King Shaka International Airport. Theft cases totalled 586, comprising 437 at OR Tambo International Airport, 97 at Cape Town International Airport, and 52 at King Shaka International Airport.
Additionally, 48 narcotics smuggling cases were registered at OR Tambo International Airport (45) and Cape Town International Airport (3).
Reported theft cases at OR Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka International Airports fell from 631 in 2023/24 to 586 in 2025/26.
Independent crime and violence analyst Dr Chris de Kock said it will be the most prevalent crime because there’s a lot of luggage that can be stolen. The next one will be drugs because drugs come into the country.
“Most of your crimes that will be registered at police stations and at the airport will be those crimes. But this is not a new thing. It was there all the years,” De Kock said.
He highlighted that OR Tambo is the biggest of the other two international airports.
“The volume of traffic through OR Tambo will be the biggest. It will be larger than the traffic through Cape Town International or Durban (King Shaka). Also, it may be that the flights coming from drug-producing countries are mostly landing at OR Tambo,” De Kock said.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a hijacking occurred in the vicinity of Cape Town International Airport. Police reported that Flying Squad members arrested four male suspects between the ages of 16 and 27 for the hijacking after intercepting the white VW Polo in Bonteheuwel for hijacking and possession of a stolen vehicle.
Cape Town International Airport reassured travellers and the public that the safety and security of everyone at the airport remains their priority.
