A 52-year-old drug trafficker, caught with drugs worth about R140m, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Robert Makhumulo was sentenced in the Pongola Regional Court, in KwaZulu-Natal, on Wednesday.
He was arrested in a sting operation on January 24.
“Hawks members in Richards Bay received information from Crime Intelligence about a truck that was carrying drugs from Swaziland to Johannesburg," said spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo.
"A sting operation was conducted at Golela Port of Entry. A truck fitting the said description was stopped and searched by the team.
“During the search, 200 kilograms of heroin powder, with a street value of R140m, was found concealed in the false compartments of a truck. Makhumulo was subsequently arrested and charged accordingly.”
KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Jabulani Zikhali said he hoped that the heavy sentence would serve as a warning to other drug peddlers.
“Anyone found involved in the possession or supply of illegal drugs should expect to be dealt with robustly by the Hawks and the courts,” said Zikhali.
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