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Nigerian, female accomplice jailed 37 years in S’Africa for drug trafficking

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MAN JAILED FOR LIFE

A Nigerian, Victor Udoh, and his female accomplice, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, will spend a combined 37 years in prison after a South African court found them guilty of drug trafficking.

According to reports, the 33-year-old Nigerian and his South African partner were convicted for orchestrating their drug-running operations through social media.

While Mzwakhe received 15 years for her role as a willing drug courier, according to the report, the Oudtshoorn Regional Court sentenced Udoh to 22 years—20 years for drug dealing and an additional two years for immigration violations.

The case, according to reports, began 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.”

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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, a South African news outlet, 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.

While acting on a tip-off about the couple in the taxi, the report noted that the police set up a roadblock and stopped the vehicle.

The officers reportedly searched the taxi and found Mzwakhe holding a box containing 743 grams of methamphetamine, popularly known as ‘tik’, with a street value of R260,050, before they were arrested on the spot.

During the trial, the report disclosed that the regional court prosecutor, Hyron Goulding, argued that the evidence clearly established Udoh as the mastermind, while Mzwakhe was a “willing participant” who “allowed herself to be used as a drug mule.”

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Despite both defendants pleading not guilty, Mzwakhe claiming she did not know the parcel contained drugs, and Udoh challenging the legality of the search, the report disclosed that the prosecutor demonstrated that police had proper authorisation for the roadblock and that the suspects consented to the search.

The court also heard that Udoh had been living illegally in South Africa for more than five years after his 2016 asylum application was rejected by the Department of Home Affairs.

While Mzwakhe was initially granted bail, she was later rearrested after failing to appear in court, spending one year in custody before sentencing. Udoh, whose bail application was denied, spent five years in prison awaiting trial.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the verdict, noting 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.

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The suspects were believed to be connected to a vast drug-distribution and hawala money-laundering syndicate operating across several major Indian cities.

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Woman jumps into Lagos lagoon, rescued by boat operators

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A yet-to-be-identified woman has been rescued after reportedly jumping into the lagoon from the Idumota end of the Carter Bridge in Lagos state.

The incident, which reportedly drew the attention of passersby and local boat operators, occurred on Tuesday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, nearby boat operators responded and brought the woman back to safety.

video circulating on social media showed the woman, seated in a rescue boat shortly after she was brought out of the water.

The footage, shared on X by a user identified as CHUKS, also showed people gathered on the bridge expressing concern about the woman’s condition.

Some bystanders could be heard appealing to the boat operators to ensure that she received appropriate care.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear as of the time of filing this report.

Authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm the woman’s identity and condition.

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Police seize truck-load of fake drug warehouses in Lagos, arrest two

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The Lagos State Police Command says its operatives have uncovered two warehouses allegedly used for repackaging counterfeit pharmaceutical products and arrested two suspected members of a syndicate involved in the interstate and cross-border distribution of fake drugs.

Fatai Tijani, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command,  disclosed this on Monday while briefing newsmen at the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit in the Ijora Olopa area of the state.

The suspects, identified as Eze Okwudilichukwu, 52, and Chukwudi Mba, 42, were arrested during an intelligence-led operation by detectives attached to the unit.

The police boss said the suspects were apprehended at a warehouse located at Number 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were allegedly repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to various parts of Nigeria.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of the syndicate.

According to the police commissioner, “The suspects, Eze Okwudilichukwu ‘m’ 52 years, and Chukwudi Mba ‘m’ 42 years, were arrested at their warehouse located at No. 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were found repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to different parts of Nigeria.

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“Following their arrest and interrogation, the suspects led detectives to another warehouse, where a duly executed search warrant was carried out. During the search, a truck loaded with large quantities of suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products, bearing registration number KFR 241 XA (Katsina), was recovered alongside other exhibits.”

The police boss said items recovered during the operation included about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole; six bags containing unpackaged suspected adulterated Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton, and other pharmaceutical products; and about 10 cartons of suspected adulterated Ampiclox, Viagra, and other drugs.

The CP noted that more than 300 empty printed packs and cartons were used to repackage counterfeit medicines.

According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been involved in the repackaging and distribution of suspected adulterated drugs for over two years.

He added that detectives uncovered evidence suggesting that the products were supplied to different parts of Nigeria, while large consignments were also destined for Lomé, Togo, indicating the existence of a transnational distribution network.

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“The investigation also suggests that the suspected adulterated drugs are being manufactured somewhere within Lagos State.

“While the production facility has not yet been located, detectives have intensified efforts to identify and dismantle the factory, arrest all those connected with the operation, and bring them to justice,” Fatai said.

The commissioner also alleged that attempts were made to compromise the investigation after the suspects were arrested.

“It is pertinent to state that since the arrest of the suspects, desperate attempts have been made through different channels to induce officers of the Violent Crime Response Unit to release both the suspects and the recovered exhibits.

“I wish to categorically state that these attempts were firmly resisted. The Lagos State Police Command remains committed to professionalism, integrity, and the rule of law, and no amount of pressure or inducement will derail the course of justice,” he added.

Tijani said the suspects, recovered exhibits, and case file had been handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation and possible prosecution.

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He explained that the handover was necessary because the case falls within the regulatory mandate of the agency.

The CP commended operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit for what he described as a professional and intelligence-driven operation while urging members of the public to provide useful information on the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit pharmaceutical products and other criminal activities.

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NDLEA uncovers cocaine hidden in wooden mortar, backpack bound for China, Italy

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have uncovered fresh attempts by drug syndicates to export cocaine concealed inside a traditional wooden mortar and a specially modified backpack destined for China and Italy.

This was contained in a statement released by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, and shared on X on Sunday.

According to Babafemi, one of the consignments involved cocaine concealed inside a traditional wooden mortar, a local tool commonly used for pounding yam and grains, which was being shipped to China.

The agency added that another cocaine shipment destined for Italy was discovered concealed in the false bottom of a backpack hidden among lace materials.

He wrote, “Mortar is a traditional local wooden tool commonly used for pounding yams or grains but was used to conceal cocaine consignment heading to China in one of the latest seizures by #ndlea_nigeria officers who also discovered another shipment of cocaine going to Italy in the false bottom of a backpack hidden in lace materials.

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“Beware of every parcel you’re given to deliver. Remember the key word for liability is possession!”

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