A South African High Court has handed lengthy prison terms to a Nigerian national, Victor Udoh, and his South African accomplice, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, following their conviction for drug smuggling and related offences.
Udoh, 33, was slammed with a cumulative 22-year jail term 20 years for drug trafficking and an additional two years for immigration infractions while Mzwakhe received a 15-year sentence for her role as a drug courier.
Reports by Nova News indicated that the duo coordinated their illegal activities via social media, with Mzwakhe allegedly reaching out to Udoh through messenger platforms and agreeing to move narcotics across several major cities, including Johannesburg, Durban and Plettenberg Bay. Investigators said Udoh financed her travel and accommodation to facilitate the operations.
Their arrest followed a coordinated police operation on 15 October 2021, after they checked into a guesthouse in George.
A courier reportedly delivered a parcel to the pair, who later boarded a taxi to Oudtshoorn.
Acting on intelligence, officers mounted a roadblock where they intercepted the vehicle and found Mzwakhe in possession of 743 grams of methamphetamine, commonly called tik, valued at R260,050.
Prosecutors told the court that Udoh was the brains behind the trafficking ring, describing Mzwakhe as a willing participant.
Despite their pleas of innocence, the court ruled that the evidence presented was overwhelming.
It was also established that Udoh had been living illegally in South Africa for more than five years after the rejection of his asylum application.
Both defendants had already spent time behind bars during the trial—Udoh for five years and Mzwakhe for one year after she jumped bail.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority hailed the judgment, stressing that drug-related crimes continue to fuel violence and instability in many communities.