Seven people accused of manufacturing and dealing in heroin and mandrax following a R50m drug bust were under the impression that they would be manufacturing tablets for the treatment of HIV and cancer.
Zainudeen Abrahams, 52, Millicent Skippers, 33, Natasha September, 32, Joseph Groenewald, 39, Jamie May, 33, Stephanie Hamke, 25, and Randall Jacobs, 36, appeared in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for a formal bail application.
Defence attorneys Ridwan Sayed, representing Abrahams, and Kiran Subajan, representing the rest of the accused, read out affidavits in court highlighting exceptional circumstances as to why their clients should be granted bail.
While the affidavits varied in their contents, one key factor was constant - that the accused were hired under the pretext that they would be working at a manufacturing plant for anti-retrovirals (ARVs) and tablets for cancer treatment. It was also stated that they would be paid between R4,000 and R6,000 a month.