A South African court has sentenced a Nigerian national, Victor Udoh, and his South African accomplice, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, to a combined 37 years in prison after finding them guilty of drug trafficking and related offences.
According to Nova News, the Oudtshoorn Regional Court handed 33-year-old Udoh a total of 22 years 20 years for drug trafficking and two years for immigration violations. Mzwakhe received a 15-year sentence for her role as a courier in the operation.
Court documents revealed that the case began in 2021 when Mzwakhe reached out to Udoh through social media, offering to transport items between major cities. Prosecutors said she willingly agreed to act as a drug courier and was funded by Udoh for her travel and accommodation.
Their activities came to light after investigators traced a suspicious parcel to a guesthouse in George. The package was delivered to the pair on October 15, 2021. Police later stopped a taxi transporting them to Oudtshoorn and discovered 743 grams of methamphetamine locally known as “tik” worth about R260,050.
During the trial, State Prosecutor Hyron Goulding described Udoh as the mastermind of the operation and Mzwakhe as a willing participant. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Mzwakhe claimed she was unaware of the package’s contents, while Udoh argued that the search leading to their arrest was unlawful an argument the court rejected.
The court also heard that Udoh had been living illegally in South Africa for more than five years after his 2016 asylum application was denied. Mzwakhe, who was initially granted bail, was later rearrested for failing to appear in court, while Udoh remained in custody throughout the lengthy trial.
Following the judgment, the National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the decision, saying it reaffirmed South Africa’s determination to clamp down on drug-related crimes that fuel violence and undermine community safety.
