National police commissioner‚ General Riah Phiyega‚ has thanked the justice system for handing down a 70-year prison term to a drug dealer who had been running a major operation in Durban. His South African wife is still on the run from police.The Durban High Court recently convicted the Nigerian of dealing in drugs including cocaine and ecstasy‚ as well as racketeering and money laundering in the Durban and surrounding areas. John Jekwu Chigbu‚ 41‚ commonly known as "JJ" in the drug dealing circles‚ was sentenced to 70 years in jail. Chigbu's co-accused‚ Sunny Augustine Osazuwa‚ 37‚ also a Nigerian national‚ was found guilty of two counts of dealing in cocaine and was sentenced to three years in prison‚ or R10‚000 fine. Chigbu was convicted in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 1998 that deal with participating in an enterprise‚ managing an enterprise and money laundering. Chigbu‚ who was arrested together with his South African-born wife‚ Sthembile Sibongile Chigbu‚ 29‚ and two other runners‚ has been in custody for the past six and half years while Osazuwa spent nearly five years in custody before being granted bail in September 2013. Chigbu's attempts to apply for bail had been rebuffed by the courts. His wife‚ who was granted bail‚ failed to attend the trial and she has been on the run ever since‚ the SAPS said in a statement. Their arrest and subsequent conviction is credited to the National Drug Task Team under the supervision of Lieutenant-General Vinesh Moonoo. The SAPS said Chigbu's criminal activities first attracted the attention of the detectives in 2007 when they received complaints that an individual known as "JJ" was running a thriving drug business in the city. "The team quickly went down to work and‚ after arresting runners‚ they eventually managed to nab their main man and the three runners in December 2008. Investigators also established that in order to launder money undetected the accused used Onzill Panel‚ a panel beating business located in Point area of Durban‚ as a front." In complimenting her team‚ Phiyega said: "We truly believe that this conviction will serve as a warning to other dealers and runners elsewhere that if and when we catch up with them‚ they will feel the full might of the law"...