Hawks nab Cape drug dealer

Thursday, November 9, 2017

The Western Cape Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Hawks' efforts to bring down the illegal narcotics trade has resulted in 58 year-old drug dealer, Hosia Mathoho being sentenced to eight years in prison.

The Cape Town Regional Court initially sentenced Mathoho to fifteen years imprisonment but he pleaded for a lesser sentence. Following the plea bargain, seven of his fifteen year sentence was suspended.

Mathoho was arrested along with three co-accused in November 2016, in Vredenburg. His arrest was a result of the Hawks’ Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) effort which swiftly intercepted a truck and an escort vehicle transporting drugs along R45 from Gauteng.

Upon searching the truck, the team uncovered about 771 000 units of Mandrax tablets hidden in false compartments. The seized drugs were valued at approximately R7.5-million.

Mathoho has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm. The court issued a confiscation order, declaring that the two vehicles used in this case be forfeited to the state.

The cases against Hosia’s three co-accused were withdrawn.

 In a separate incident on Tuesday, members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Unit and K9 Unit in the Southern Cape executed two warrants of arrest at separate addresses in Conville.

 Sought suspects Izunna Ekedirichukwu Ibeh and Sunday Ndubuisi Ibeh both aged 37, were arrested. Small quantities of narcotics such as Tik and Mandrax valued at just under R5000 were seized.

 

 The pair appeared before the Thembalethu Magistrate’s court on Wednesday. They are expected back in court on November 20th to face charges of drug dealing. –SAnews.gov.za