THE iron bars have slammed shut behind two Tanzanians caught trafficking heroin with a street value of over R2-million across the Golela border.
Bohari Mbegu Bohari (37) and Nas Mohamed Issa (34) were convicted of dealing in narcotics in the Pongola Regional Court on Friday and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
They were caught red handed with the heroin powder originating from Afghanistan, when they crossed the border on 3 November last year.
The men, both from Dar Es Salaam, were traveling in a minibus taxi from Maputo heading for Durban, when the border police did a routine search of the vehicle.
Cst Mathibula and Cst Buthelezi instructed the passengers to alight from the vehicle with their baggage and subsequently became suspicious of the two men who carried identical suitcases.
When they were instructed to open the suitcases, they refused and said it did not belong to them.
The police subsequently forced it open and discovered both had false top and bottom compartments with two sealed parcels each, containing a white powdery substance.
Narcotics expert Warrant Officer Ryno Louw of the Hawks took possession of the material evidence and forensic testing revealed the powder to be heroin of over 2.7kg. kilograms.
Their bail was refused and the matter proceeded to trial, with State Prosecutor Advocate Mathenjwa for the State and attorney Robert Carstens for the defense.
W/O Louw testified that the street value of heroin is about R700 per gram.
The accused alleged they were victimised because they were from Tanzania, that they did not know each other and that police forced them to carry the suitcases to an office where they were arrested.
Both claimed that it was their first time entering South Africa, but investigations revealed Issa entered the country through the Oliver Tambo Airport twice and previously crossed borders into the country on six occasions.
Regional Court Magistrate Sunet Barnard rejected the accused’s version, convicting them both of dealing in dangerous dependence producing substances.
In mitigation, the accused said they had families to consider, but Magistrate Barnard said they should have considered their loved ones before they went ahead with their plan.
