A 44-year-old South African has been charged with importing cocaine from Brazil into Namibia. On Tuesday, Michael Mpangala made an appearance at the Katutura Magistrate’s Court.
According to deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, a spokesperson for the Namibian police, Mpangala was detained on Sunday afternoon at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.
When customs officers searched Mpangala’s bags, they discovered 10kg of cocaine with a street worth of more than R5 million.
“The suspect was allegedly coming from Brazil to deliver drugs to allegedly an unknown person in Namibia,” said Shikwamba.
He claimed that Mpangala was also discovered to have R700 000 in cash, or 224 224 Brazilian reais. On January 16, Mpangala was scheduled to appear in court to request bail.
According to a report from Namibia given at the 64th meeting of the UN Commission on Narcotics and Drugs in 2021, the use of illicit drugs has increased recently, with cannabis being the most popular drug used, however, there have also been reports of cocaine and synthetic stimulants being used.
As a result, Namibia has gradually evolved into a transit and consumer nation by serving as a shelter for drug traffickers and smugglers.
Grant Noble and Dinath Azhar, residents of Walvis Bay, were charged in August of last year for smuggling 412kg of cocaine in a container at the Walvis Bay harbor in 2018 – the largest single consignment of cocaine ever seized in Namibia. A private business controlled by Noble called Zeeki Trading CC had imported the container.
It was shipped to Walvis Bay from Brazil via Cape Town. Both defendants received seven-year prison terms after being found guilty. The country’s Drugs Act imposes a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.