Importation of over Rs 7.8 Million of Heroin: Twenty-One Years in Prison for a South African National

On Tuesday, November 11, the sentence was pronounced for Jacobus Van Der Merwe, a 46-year-old South African national. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison and fined Rs 50,000 for drug importation. In his ruling, Judge Iqbal Maghooa emphasized that the defendant had "knowingly participated in a well-planned criminal activity" and that his level of culpability was high. "His involvement in the supply chain is decisive," the judge noted, adding that public interest demands that traffickers be severely punished.

The Assize Court took into account that Jacobus Van Der Merwe had been in pre-trial detention since his arrest and had cooperated with the police, expressing remorse. The judge also considered that he is the father of six children living in South Africa and ordered that the time he spent awaiting his verdict be deducted from his sentence.

The 40-year-old had pleaded guilty to importing 522.57 grams of heroin into Mauritius, concealed in 57 pellets distributed among six condoms. The street value of the drug was estimated at Rs 7,838,550. The events date back to November 12, 2019, at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, where he was intercepted by customs officers after arriving on flight SA190 from Johannesburg.

He admitted to acting as a "mule" for a certain Ike, a Nigerian national, in exchange for 20,000 rand. He explained that due to his precarious situation, he agreed to transport the drugs without swallowing them, preferring to hide them in his clothing and behind his knees.