A Nigerian man, Victor Udoh, and a South African woman, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, have been sentenced to a combined 37 years in prison by an Oudtshoorn court in South Africa for their roles in a drug trafficking scheme.
According to a report by Nova News, both convicts ran their operations using social media platforms, where they coordinated the movement of narcotics before their arrest in 2021.
Mzwakhe was handed a 15-year sentence for agreeing to act as a courier, while Udoh received 22 years, 20 years for drug-related offences and two additional years for violating immigration laws.
The case, the report said, originated when “Mzwakhe voluntarily contacted Udoh through social media, offering her services as a drug mule to transport narcotics across South Africa.”
Court filings further revealed that “Mzwakhe reached out to Udoh via a social media messenger, asking if he knew any Nigerians in Oudtshoorn and offering to transport ‘stuff’ between cities, including Plettenberg Bay, Johannesburg, and Durban.”
Investigations showed that Udoh later provided funds for Mzwakhe’s travel and accommodation, which enabled a parcel handover at a guesthouse in George on October 15, 2021.
The pair subsequently boarded a taxi headed for Oudtshoorn.
Police, acting on intelligence, intercepted the taxi at a checkpoint, where officers found a package containing 743 grams of methamphetamine, valued at R260,050, in Mzwakhe’s possession.
During trial, the prosecutor argued that Udoh coordinated the drug operation, while Mzwakhe acted as a “willing participant” who “allowed herself to be used as a drug mule,” despite both defendants maintaining their innocence.
The court also heard that Udoh had been in South Africa illegally for more than five years after his asylum claim was rejected.
Mzwakhe, who earlier secured bail, was later rearrested for failing to return to court.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the ruling, warning that “the availability and abuse of drugs is destroying communities, leading to serious violent crimes,” as authorities continue to crack down on narcotics networks.
Udoh’s sentencing comes as authorities in India recently detained 50 Nigerians in a sweeping operation targeting a major transnational drug ring operating across several cities.
