The Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg has sentenced three men, Sydney Bilankulu, 56, Courdel Khoza, 30, and Thabo Dikgale, 31, to 10 years and a further five years imprisonment on charges of dealing in drugs, possession of drugs and defeating the ends of justice.
Bilankulu was working as a flight attendant at Air Namibia, while Khoza and Dikgale were customs officials employed by the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
The accused were charged together with Oscar Osigwe, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2017.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Osigwe entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State so that he would testify against his co-accused - Bilankulu, Khoza and Dikgale.
“Osigwe arrived at the OR Tambo International Airport in April 2016, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, in possession of 1,295 grammes (89 plastic bullets) of cocaine he had swallowed,” said Gauteng regional spokesperson for the NPA, Phindi Mjonondwane.
Osigwe told the court that a Nigerian man, in Brazil, had given him the drugs and bought him a ticket to South Africa.
“He further told the court that the Nigerian man said that there would be people at the OR Tambo International Airport who would be waiting for him, and that his identity was already shared with these people,” she said.
“On arrival, while he was waiting in the queue, Osigwe was told to stand aside by two SA Revenue Service customs officials - Khoza and Dikgale.”
While being searched, Osigwe was informed by Dikgale that they had been waiting for him.
“They thereafter went with Osigwe to a hotel, where his SIM card was replaced with a new SIM card that would be used to communicate with him after he had excreted the drugs,” said Mjonondwane.
Osigwe was given instructions regarding where to drop off the bag with drugs after he has defecated all the packs.
“While on duty, Sergeant Nathan Govender from the South African Police Service (SAPS) stationed at the OR Tambo International Airport received an anonymous tip-off about a man from Sao Paulo, with cocaine balls he had swallowed. Govender gathered a team that went to the hotel where Osigwe had checked in,” according to the NPA.
Upon arrival, the police team questioned Osigwe, who agreed that he had excreted 71 balls of the drugs, and 18 were still inside his stomach.
Moments later, Osigwe received a call from his co-accused, instructing him to move to the drugs drop-off point. The police team followed him and when he handed over the bag loaded with the cocaine to Bilankulu, who was with Dikgale and Khoza, they were all arrested.
In court, while arguing for a harsh sentence, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Jacob Serepo argued that the accused men abused their authority as law enforcement officers.
“They had acted dishonestly. The accused facilitated the importation of drugs whereas their mandate as law enforcement officers was to curb the scourge of drug dealing,” Serepo submitted.
Meanwhile, the NPA has applauded the work done by Serepo and the investigating officer in the case, a Captain Polley, “for ensuring that these drug traffickers are removed from society”.
IOL