Relative of arrested drug mule speaks out
An East Rand woman has spoken out about drug exporters who used one of her relatives from Geduld, in Springs, as a drug mule to smuggle cocaine out of the country.
The woman, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for her life, said her relative was awaiting trial in Hong Kong for smuggling 2kg of cocaine worth about R1.2 million into that country, Springs Advertiser reported.
She said the risk of drug mule getting caught came as soon as he entered the destination country with the cocaine in his luggage.
The woman said before her relative took the cocaine to Asia, he was taken from Geduld and for a few days stayed in a hotel close to OR Tambo International Airport before flying out.
The drugs were hidden in a secret compartment in the suitcase issued to him, while the case was packed with expensive clothing, shoes and accessories to give the impression he was a businessman.
She explained once a drug mule safely cleared customs at their destination, they then go to the prebooked hotel to hand over the drugs. The woman commented her relative was to stay in Hong Kong for at least two weeks, and after returning home, he would receive between R20 000 and R25 000 for the delivery, depending on the size of the package.
In a study, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) senior researcher Annette Hubschle said drug syndicates were increasingly migrating towards using mules or couriers.
Hubschle said: “Whereas drugs used to be transported in suitcases and bags, concealed in cars, containers or ships, there has been a marked increase of women and men carry drugs on their body or in body cavities. Syndicates are usually a few steps ahead of drug-enforcement agencies; they constantly adapt to new law-enforcement strategies.”
Nonprofit organisation Locked Up reported more than 600 South African drug mules and drug traffickers currently remain in foreign prisons, with almost half of these being imprisoned in South America.
In January, Locked Up director Patricia Gerber told the Daily News it had been reported that 28-year-old South African Deon Cornelius was sentenced to death for smuggling 1.9kg of methamphetamine into Malaysia.
Department of international relations and cooperation spokesperson Nelson Kgwete later confirmed the SA High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was rendering consular support to Cornelius since his arrest in 2013.
– Caxton News Service
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