Parliamentary data reveals a decrease in reported theft at three major South African airports. Specifically, theft incidents at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka airports declined from 631 cases in the 2023/24 period to 586 cases in 2025/26. However, the data concurrently indicates a significant rise in narcotics smuggling. The number of narcotics-related cases detected at these same airports nearly doubled, increasing from 28 to 48 over the same timeframe. This suggests a shift in criminal activity, with perpetrators potentially focusing on higher-risk, higher-reward offenses. Authorities are likely to address these trends in upcoming security briefings, focusing on bolstering narcotics detection efforts at OR Tambo, Cape Town and King Shaka airports.