Lured by Love, Jailed for Cocaine: Namibian Woman Sentenced After Drug Smuggling Horror at OR Tambo

From Romance to a Nightmare: Drug Mule Sentenced in Kempton Park

What started as a romantic getaway turned into an international drug smuggling nightmare for 30-year-old Namibian national Pauline Mbangula, who has now been sentenced to eight years in prison after being caught smuggling cocaine into South Africa.

Mbangula was arrested on 22 September 2024 at OR Tambo International Airport after arriving from São Paulo, Brazil. A routine medical examination revealed a harrowing discovery – she had swallowed 68 bullet-shaped packets of cocaine.

Lured Under False Pretences by a “Lover”

According to SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, Mbangula told investigators she had been tricked into travelling to Brazil by a man she had recently met, believing they were going on a holiday. Once there, she claimed, the situation turned sinister. The man allegedly coerced her into ingesting drug-filled capsules and smuggling them back to South Africa.

Whether her version of events was genuine or an attempt at leniency, the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court delivered a sobering sentence: eight years’ direct imprisonment, with three years suspended.

OR Tambo Crackdown: Over 22 Drug Mules Caught in the Past Year

Mbangula’s arrest is just one of more than 22 similar cases at OR Tambo International Airport over the past year, underscoring a growing trend of drug syndicates exploiting vulnerable individuals—particularly women—as mules for international trafficking.

“The regular arrests of drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport should send a stern warning that police in South Africa – and in particular at this port of entry – are always on high alert to clamp down on criminality,” said Brigadier Mathe.

SAPS Warns Young Women: “Don’t Fall for It”

The South African Police Service is urging young women not to fall prey to international drug smuggling syndicates, warning that the allure of romance or easy money often ends in arrest, trauma, or worse.

“This is not just about crime,” said Brigadier Mathe. “It’s about lives being ruined.”

The Bottom Line: Know the Risks, Don’t Become the Story

Whether lured by love, desperation, or deception, the consequences of drug smuggling are severe—and the justice system in South Africa is showing no leniency.

For many, like Pauline Mbangula, the so-called “holiday” ends behind bars.

Source:African Insider 

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