Drug dealer sentenced to eight years in prison, forfeit millions to the state

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A third accused in the R400m drug bust has been sentenced to an effective eight-year imprisonment by the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court.

Ebrahim Kara, 40, will also forfeit R2 million to the state as part of his sentence.

The court further ordered that he surrender the 672 bricks of cocaine which were found in a truck he was driving.

According to Eric Ntabazalila, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Kara, Elias Radebe and Meshack Mzungezi Ngobese were arrested after they were found with the cocaine haul.

“Radebe was sentenced to an effective year of imprisonment while Ngobese was sentenced to six years of direct imprisonment.

“Both accused entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.

“In his plea and sentencing agreement, the father of five, business owner and IT consultant confessed to supplying Radebe with a truck to drive to Gauteng to collect the drugs and return them to Cape Town.

“After the truck was loaded with the drugs in Gauteng, Radebe collected Ngobese who was staying in the province. They both drove down to Cape Town, with the drugs packed into a crate.

“On 4 August 2022, they handed the truck over to Kara at N1 City, Goodwood. They remained at N1 City, Goodwood, while he drove away in the direction of Athlone,” he explained.

Ntabazalila stated that Kara, further confessed that he was stopped by police while driving in Athlone and they asked for his permission to search the vehicle.

He added; “Radebe and Ngobese were also arrested, and all three men were present when police searched the truck and found the 672 bricks of cocaine concealed inside pine sheets.

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“Senior State Adv Peter-John Damon told the court that the seized cocaine was not for their consumption but for the commercial purpose of exporting and selling.

“He said the substance was highly addictive to both physical and mental health, and that the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court has a high frequency of offences of drug dealing.

“Kara was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment of which 7 years were suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of Section 4 or 5 of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992 during the period of suspension.”