OUDTSHOORN – A Nigerian man and South African woman who orchestrated a drug trafficking operation through social media have been handed heavy prison sentences by the Oudtshoorn Regional Court.
Victor Ikechukwu Udoh (33) was sentenced to 22 years in prison – 20 years for drug dealing and an additional two years for immigration violations. His accomplice, Vuyisekha Miranda Mzwakhe (30) received 15 years for her role as a willing drug courier.
The case began when Mzwakhe voluntarily contacted Udoh through social media, offering her services as a drug mule to transport narcotics across South Africa.
Court evidence revealed that Mzwakhe reached out to Udoh via social media messenger, asking if he knew any Nigerians in Oudtshoorn and offering to transport “stuff” between cities including Plettenberg Bay, Johannesburg, and Durban.
When Udoh questioned whether she understood what she was committing to, Mzwakhe confirmed her willingness to participate. He then deposited money into her bank account to cover travel expenses from Gqeberha to George and accommodation costs.
The plan involved a guesthouse in George, where a courier delivered a parcel on 15 October 2021. After both suspects collected the package and checked out, they boarded a taxi to Oudtshoorn.
Acting on a tip-off about the couple in the taxi, police set up a roadblock and stopped the vehicle. The officers searched the taxi and discovered Mzwakhe holding a box containing 743gr of methamphetamine, or better known as Tik, with a street value of R260,050.
Both suspects were immediately arrested at the scene.
During the trial, Regional Court prosecutor Hyron Goulding argued that the evidence clearly showed Udoh as the mastermind behind the operation, while Mzwakhe was a “willing participant” who “allowed herself to be used as a drug mule.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Mzwakhe claimed she was unaware the parcel contained drugs, while Udoh challenged the constitutionality of the search and seizure.
However, Goulding successfully argued that police had proper authorisation for the roadblock and that the suspects had consented to the search.
The court heard that Udoh had been living illegally in South Africa for more than five years after his asylum application was rejected by the Department of Home Affairs in 2016.
Mzwakhe was initially released on bail but was later arrested on a warrant after failing to appear in court. She spent one year in custody before sentencing. Udoh, whose bail application was opposed, spent five years in prison awaiting trial.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentences, noting that “the availability and abuse of drugs is destroying communities, leading to serious violent crimes.”
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