Johannesburg - A Swazi national arrested with heroin worth R75 million, has abandoned his bid to be released on bail in the Carolina District court.
Bonginkosi Cyrilo Gamedze, 48, was apprehended by the police last week in Badplaas, following a tip-off about a truck travelling from Mozambique to Badplaas in the eastern parts of Mpumalanga, transporting drugs.
The police subsequently stopped and searched the truck that Gamedze was travelling in and found drugs worth millions in his possession.
The regional National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said following the arrest, the matter was transferred to the Hawks for further investigation.
Nyuswa said during the accused’s first appearance in court, the matter was postponed, with the accused remanded in custody pending the outcome of his bail application.
During his second appearance, he indicated that he would no longer be seeking bail, as a result, the matter was postponed to September 21 for further investigations
Research into the Heroin trade in South Africa, according to a 2019 report by the Enhancing Africa’s response to Transnational Organised crime (Enact) titled: “Heroin’s stealthy takeover of South Africa”, suggested that the market was larger, more lucrative, and more deeply embedded than previously thought.
The report further explained that the situation began to change in the early 2000s, and evolved rapidly about five years ago, primarily due to the availability of South Africa’s position on the Southern route'.
The Star