Victor Udoh, a Nigerian man, and Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, his female accomplice, were found guilty of drug trafficking by a South African court and will serve a total of 37 years in jail.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Tuesday from Nova News, a South Africa–based online news organization, that the 33-year-old Nigerian and his South African partner were jailed for directing their drug-running operations through social media. According to the report, the Oudtshoorn Regional Court sentenced Udoh to 22 years 20 years for drug peddling and an additional two years for visa violations while Mzwakhe was given 15 years for her role as a willing drug courier.
According to the report, the case started when “Mzwakhe voluntarily contacted Udoh through social media, offering her services as a drug mule to transport narcotics across South Africa.”
Court proceedings 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.”
When Udoh asked if she understood what she was getting involved in, Mzwakhe reportedly confirmed her willingness.
The report added that Udoh subsequently deposited money into her bank account to cover her travel from Gqeberha to George and her accommodation expenses.
The plan, according to Nova News, involved a guesthouse in George, where a courier delivered a parcel on 15 October 2021.
After collecting the package, the report added that both suspects checked out and boarded a taxi to Oudtshoorn.
