eNews channel as well as Highveld said they were released without charges. No mention of bail.. maybe someone in the media has their wires crossed ... anyway - they're out and can do the flight back.... i hope!

SAA crew freed on bail after London drug haul (2nd Roundup)


London - The entire crew of a South African Airways (SAA) airliner was freed on bail by British investigators Wednesday following the discovery of large amounts of drugs in baggage, customs authorities at London's Heathrow airport said Wednesday.

The 10 women and five men, including the plane's captain and co-pilot, were questioned over the seizure of cannabis and cocaine estimated at a street value of 310,000 pounds (427,000 dollars) aboard the plane on its arrival from Johannesburg Tuesday.

According to customs officials 50 kilograms of cannabis and four kilograms of cocaine were found in three pieces of luggage after the plane touched down at London's Heathrow airport early Tuesday.

SAA, which is owned by the South African government, said Wednesday it was cooperating fully with the British authorities and had launched a separate investigation.

'The airline has also launched an investigation into this matter involving SAA Aviation Security and the SAPS (South African Police Service) Crime Intelligence Unit,' a statement from the airline said.

A spokeswoman later confirmed the 15 staff, all based in South Africa, had not been suspended but had been taken off flying duties and would be kept at what she described as a 'secure location' in Britain.

She added that the company was taking the discovery of the drugs 'extremely seriously' and had provided the crew with legal representation.

In London, Revenue and Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said all 15 crew members were released on unconditional bail in the early hours of Wednesday.

They were instructed to report to the authorities again on March 23, pending further investigations. No charges have so far been made.

'It's going to be a pretty intensive investigation trying to find out what went on and how the drugs came to be where we found them. Obviously we're still trying to establish ownership,' said Gaiger.

.

WRONG

Sound like a African Politician's defence.

@Betalight......the comment about being released without charges relates to the poster above who claimed they had been released without charges. Since that is not the case, the comment is therefore null and void.

As to the politicians type response, do you feel that the scenario is totally impossible?

I feel for the innocents here, now stuck in the UK, maybe until March, when the case comes to court. Hopefully the police will be able to narrow down the search fairly quickly and let the not guilty ones come home.

As for the people who are involved in the movement, manufacure and sale of these drugs....may they rot in hell for the torment they cause!!!

Time will tell.....
 

......another bitter and twisted guy that types before he thinks.

The fact that the crew were released says it all: no evidence to charge one or all.

Many years ago, a SAA hostie was caught with dagga in her bag. She was charged immediately and served a jail sentence.

I suspect the bags were loaded at OT into the crew container by an insider and was to be intercepted at Heathrow by someone else. Something happened at Heathrow and the "job went wrong".

Time will tell.....I hope all the "SAA critics" will then show the same "courage" and admit they were (once again) overreacting :confused:

Fully agree.

Unfortunattely the S.A.A. crew ( last time it was a pilot remember? ) have created a reputation for them self's through various acts ranging from smuggling, theft on board, prostitution on lay overs, swapping duty free products with fakes, fake qualifications, etc.

In 2005 an Aussie lady, Schapelle Corby, tried the "my bag was tampered" plea in Bali when caught with 4kg of marijuana. During this case it was proved how difficult t would be for the contra band to get to it's receiver if not under control all the way. 54 kilo's is just to valuable to fly "unaccompanied."

Sorry flynight, but their track record is not in their favor.

I cannot understand why it is always "Someone else" that planted the drugs! Why could it not be some members of the crew that thought they would be able to walk through customs with out being checked like a hundred times before.

As a matter of interest do the SAA crew go straight from the airplane to the hotel by bus, or do they go through the terminal?

SAA don't get checked by ACSA, but by their own company?! Whilst us poor mortals chuck our bags through the 'time wasting' machine every $%^$ day?! Then they go and.......(takes deep breath, counts to ten, assumes lotus postion)....well, I'm sure it'll all work out for our esteemed flag carrier. :ok:

Skyvan, I hope you know you just told God to "go rot in hell"

He made Marijuana.:}

Frogman have to agree with you. No one in their right mind is going to "tamper" with suitcases to the tune of R2-million in dagga alone and as much in cocaine. That's a lot of money. And just how do you reclaim the drugs on the other side? And when do you put the stuff into the cases? The drugs were packed before the bags entered ops. This was an organised operation, no question.
And NEWSFLASH: on the Times website a security guard at the airport has "confessed" to involvement.

When in London does SAA go straight on the bus and to the hotel, or do they clear customs in the airport?

Shrike200, get the facts first....
 

:=

SAA crew gets security screened at Flight Operations by the same company that does the screening at the airport, they also use the same equipment. This enables the crew to proceed to the aircraft without having to stand in a que to "chuck their bags through the 'time wasting (??!!) machine."

Can you imagine what people like Shrike200 will have to say if the flight was delayed because the crew arrived late at the aircraft after having to wait in the que at OT airprot to have their bags scanned?????:ugh:

smoking spoories
 

Well it just made the main news on CNN here in the USA....so well done to those involved. As an ex SAA employee I am saddened that the company will once again be dragged through the dirt. Find the guilty ones and make an example of them for once and for all. The unions should leave this one alone and let the company and the law do what they should do.:sad:

If you are released on bail, then you have been charged. If you have not been charged, then you get released, isn't it?

I wonder if they will get S&T every day until the end of March!?:p

JG1

What appears to have happened is that they have been released on a form of conditional bail under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, known as 47(3) bail. The reason for this is to do with the time constraints placed on the investigators. In complex cases(excuse the pun) such as this its common to bail to a return date usually about 8 weeks away, as in this case.

The investigators`time clock` starts to tick again on their return so there is no point in detaining someone unduly to start with as you run out of detention time further down the line.

By March a clearer picture should have emerged. indeed it may be sorted much sooner. Lets hope

Point of fact taken (ie ACSA still screens your bags), but don't get in a knot - you should have realised that EVERYONE else manages to get to their aircraft on time, despite not having their own little setup. AND you should have known that there is a special setup for crew alone at ORT, so SAA's private route is not even necessary - maybe you can mention that to the heav's, and save SAA some money.

The problem with having your own "private" entrance is that the small group of security people serving this entrance, and their managers, get to know the crew.

The crew can also get to know the security people, and start a mutual beneficial arrangement.

The current situation illustrates this perfectly.

Procedure is that the crew check baggage in at SAA Ops. From there it goes directly to the aircraft. Upon arrival in London, The crew collect the baggage from the aircraft, take it to the bus and then depart via bus to the hotel. THE BUS MY OR MY NOT BE SELECTED FOR SEARCHING BY THE CUSTOMS OFFICIAL. this is how it is done for most of the foreign aircrew arriving in London. It is therefore almost 100% sure that somebody or more than one had to collect the "tampered bags" from the person Ls who did it and courier it knowingly to London...Very similar to the incident years ago in Cape Town. (Cape Town to London) The perpatrator was never brought to book although he was suspended with pay he was eventually dismissed (after more than 1,5 years)without appearing in court. Makes you think.

2 in court over SAA drug bust
23/01/2009 14:19 - (SA)


Johannesburg - The case against a security guard and an SAA cabin crew member arrested for alleged drug smuggling was postponed for a week by the Kempton Park Regional Court on Friday.

Security officer Pulane Hlahane, 43, and SAA employee Mmatshuma Matlhara, 35, appeared briefly on fraud and corruption charges before magistrate Prince Manyathi.

State prosecutor Kaizer Mpepele told the court that Hlahane allegedly provided Matlhara with extra security tags so that she could travel with extra luggage containing illegal substances.

"It is alleged there were payments exchanged between the accused, but more details will be established during the investigation," Mpepele said.

More arrests expected

He told the court that the police were expecting to arrest more people in connection with the case.

The case was postponed to January 30 for a formal bail application.

The case follows the detention of three SAA pilots and 12 cabin crew members by British authorities for alleged drug possession at the London Heathrow Airport early this week.

They were later released.

Twelve of the 15 SAA employees arrested, arrived back in South Africa on Thursday and three were still expected back.

- SAPA