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Man in court for apparently selling drugs outside police headquarters
This after police seized crystal meth, Cat, and cocaine worth an estimated street value of R34k from his house and car.
Drugs seized
A man who police call the “biggest drug dealer in the city” was arrested while allegedly trying to sell drugs outside the provincial police headquarters in broad daylight in Mpumalanga.
Police spokesperson Detective Sergeant Loewie Laubscher said Paul Chukwuemeka Umanaka, a Nigerian national, his South African wife, Thembisile Umanaka, and his alleged drug runner, Sunday Chidi Ekwonwa, also a Nigerian, were arrested last Monday.
They face charges relating to the possession and dealing in illegal drugs.
Police seized crystal meth, Cat, and cocaine worth an estimated street value of R34 000 from his house and car.
Umanaka was out on bail for another drug case that was opened against him in February last year at the time of his arrest.
It followed after the drug unit received a tip-off that Umanaka and Ekwonwa regularly sold drugs from their vehicle on Jones Street.
“The police approached him, and he drove off. They gave chase and finally stopped him outside Coyote’s Pub.”
The police found drugs on the passenger side of his vehicle.
The drug unit went to his house afterwards where they found more hidden in a kitchen cupboard next to their baby’s bottles and food. This led to the arrest of his wife.
Laubscher said police did not oppose bail for Thembisile, as she has a month-old-baby and a four-year-old child to look after. She was released on bail of R5 000. Umanaka appeared in court on Wednesday.
Laubscher said he and the prosecutor, Oupa Ndlovu, fought against him receiving bail due to Umanaka having a propensity to commit the same crime again.
Magistrate MJ Ngobeni granted Umanaka bail of R5 000 on the grounds that he was not a flight risk. His case was postponed until March 13.
According to police, Ekwonwa has two Nigerian passports, of which one has expired and the other does not have a valid Visa or entry stamp for South Africa.
Umanaka is a resident of the country. Ekonwa is set to appear today for his bail application.
– Caxton News Service
