A Nigerian man, Victor Udoh, alongside his female accomplice, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, will serve a combined 37 years in prison after being convicted of drug trafficking by a South African court.
According to Nova News, a South Africa–based online outlet, the 33-year-old Nigerian and his South African partner orchestrated their narcotics operations via social media.
Mzwakhe was sentenced to 15 years for acting as a willing drug courier, while Udoh received 22 years—20 years for drug dealing and an additional two years for immigration violations—at the Oudtshoorn Regional Court.
The case reportedly began when “Mzwakhe voluntarily contacted Udoh through social media, offering her services as a drug mule to transport narcotics across South Africa.”
Court records 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 inquired whether she understood the risks involved, Mzwakhe confirmed her willingness.
The report further noted that Udoh transferred money into her bank account to cover travel from Gqeberha to George, as well as accommodation costs.
The operation centered around a guesthouse in George, where a courier delivered a parcel on 15 October 2021.
After collecting it, both suspects checked out and boarded a taxi to Oudtshoorn. Acting on a tip-off, police set up a roadblock and stopped the vehicle.
Officers discovered Mzwakhe holding a box containing 743 grams of methamphetamine, commonly known as ‘tik’—with a street value of R260,050, leading to the immediate arrest of both suspects.
During the trial, regional court prosecutor Hyron Goulding argued that the evidence established Udoh as the mastermind, while Mzwakhe was a “willing participant” who “allowed herself to be used as a drug mule.”
Although both defendants pleaded not guilty, with Mzwakhe claiming she was unaware of the parcel’s contents and Udoh challenging the legality of the search, the prosecutor demonstrated that police had proper authorisation for the roadblock and that the suspects had consented to the search.
The court also heard that Udoh had been living illegally in South Africa for over five years after his 2016 asylum application was rejected by the Department of Home Affairs.
Mzwakhe, initially granted bail, was later rearrested for failing to appear in court, spending a year in custody before sentencing, while Udoh remained in detention for five years awaiting trial.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the verdict, stating that “the availability and abuse of drugs is destroying communities, leading to serious violent crimes.”
Udoh’s sentencing coincided with reports that 50 Nigerians were recently arrested in one of India’s largest coordinated crackdowns on a transnational narcotics network, reportedly linked to a widespread drug-distribution and hawala money-laundering syndicate operating across several major Indian cities.
