Key Points

• The case highlights South Africa’s crackdown on drug trafficking.
• Investigators tied the duo to a drug trafficking network.
• Prosecutors say tougher sentences will deter drug trafficking.

A South African court has sentenced Nigerian citizen Victor Udoh and his partner Vuyisekha Mzwakhe to a total of 37 years in prison for drug trafficking and other crimes. Udoh, who is 33 years old, got a 22-year sentence, and Mzwakhe, who is 15 years old, got a 15-year sentence for her role in a scheme that prosecutors said relied heavily on social media.

Nova News, a news site based in South Africa, said that the two ran a small but well-organised drug-courier business that covered several cities before they were arrested in 2021. The Oudtshoorn Regional Court said that the harsh punishments were fair because of how well they worked together and how many drugs were involved.

Link on social media starts drug-running plan

Court documents say that the case started when Mzwakhe contacted Udoh on social media and offered to be a courier to move illegal drugs across South Africa. Prosecutors said she called him on her own and asked if he knew anyone who needed help moving “stuff” between cities like Plettenberg Bay, Johannesburg, and Durban.

Udoh is said to have sent money to her bank account to pay for her travel from Gqeberha to George and her lodging after confirming that she was ready to go. A guesthouse in George later became the place where a package was delivered on October 15, 2021. After getting the package, the two quickly left and got into a taxi to Oudtshoorn.

Arrest and drug seizure after a roadblock

After getting a tip, the police set up a roadblock along the route and stopped the taxi. The police searched the car and found Mzwakhe holding a box with 743 grammes of methamphetamine, which is known as “tik” in South Africa. The street value of the drugs is thought to be R260,050. They arrested both Udoh and Mzwakhe right away.

During the trial, regional court prosecutor Hyron Goulding said that Udoh planned the operation and called Mzwakhe a “willing participant” who knew she was being used as a drug mule. Even though they said they weren’t guilty and questioned the legality of the search, the court found that the police had the right to do it and that the suspects had agreed to it.

Immigration problems and past absences make the trial harder

More testimony showed that Udoh had been living in South Africa illegally for more than five years after his asylum application was turned down in 2016. Mzwakhe was able to get bail at first, but she was arrested again later for not showing up in court. She spent a year in jail before she was sentenced. After his bail request was turned down, Udoh stayed in jail for five years while he waited for his trial.

The National Prosecuting Authority was happy with the decision, saying that drug-related crimes still cause violence and make communities less stable. Reports of another major crackdown abroad come out around the same time as the sentencing. About 50 Nigerians were arrested in India for their involvement in a transnational drug and money-laundering ring.