Nigerian Man and Local Partner Jailed for 37 Years for Meth Trafficking in South Africa

A South African court has sentenced Nigerian national Victor Udoh and his South African accomplice, Vuyisekha Mzwakhe, to a combined 37 years in prison for running a drug-trafficking operation built around social-media communication.

Nova News reported that the 33-year-old Udoh received 22 years—20 for drug dealing and two for immigration offences—while Mzwakhe was handed a 15-year term for acting as a willing courier. Investigators said the pair coordinated their activities through messaging platforms, with Mzwakhe initiating contact and offering to transport illicit substances between cities.

According to court evidence, Udoh transferred money to cover her travel from Gqeberha to George, where a parcel was delivered to a guesthouse on 15 October 2021. After picking up the package, the pair headed toward Oudtshoorn in a taxi. Acting on a tip-off, police set up a roadblock and found Mzwakhe holding a box with 743 grams of methamphetamine valued at R260,050.

Prosecutor Hyron Goulding told the Oudtshoorn Regional Court that Udoh directed the operation while Mzwakhe knowingly agreed to act as a mule. Both denied wrongdoing; Mzwakhe claimed ignorance of the contents, and Udoh questioned the legality of the search. The court ruled that officers had the necessary authorisation and that the suspects consented to the inspection.

It also emerged that Udoh had been living illegally in the country for more than five years after his 2016 asylum application was rejected. Mzwakhe, initially released on bail, was later rearrested after missing a court appearance and spent a year in custody before sentencing. Udoh had been detained for five years while awaiting trial.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the outcome, warning that widespread drug abuse continues to fuel violent crime in communities. News of the sentencing came as authorities in India announced the arrest of 50 Nigerians in what officials described as one of the country’s largest coordinated operations against a transnational drug and hawala-based money-laundering network.