Govt liaising with US after women arrested for drug smuggling
The Department of International Relations says all parties are co-operating in the case of four South African women arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine into the US.
The four women, including three from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape, had been employed as cabin crew members onboard an cruise vessel.
During a raid, 7kgs of cocaine were found when the vessel docked in Miami. According to one of the women they had been employed by another crew member, who has also been arrested, to make the run from Jamaica to the US.
The department's Ndivhuwo Mabaya says they are working closely with US authorities to ensure the women undergo a fair prosecution process.
"We are required to give them consular visits, and liaise between them and the US authorities, as well as between them and their families. So, we have been talking to them and anything that they need, they can get it through us.
"They must also understand the risk that comes with these things, as they can be arrested."