Drug smuggler busted at border, found guilty of bribery and trafficking

A 42-YEAR-OLD drug smuggler who tried to bribe a police officer at the Nakop border post - which lies between South Africa and Namibia - has been convicted of drug trafficking and corruption following a detailed investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, better known as the Hawks.

According to Hawks Northern Cape spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Tebogo Thebe, Samson Vusi Dlamini was caught in May 2023 when border police searched a truck and found narcotics hidden in a passenger’s bags. The passenger, a citizen of the Kingdom of Eswatini, later admitted he was attempting to smuggle the drugs into South Africa and offered a R2,000 bribe to avoid arrest.

The Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Upington took over the case, and Dlamini was charged with drug possession and corruption. He remained behind bars throughout the trial.

This week, the Upington Regional Court found Dlamini guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, May 28. 

Authorities have commended the teamwork that led to the successful conviction, with the provincial head of the Northern Cape Hawks, Major-General Stephen Molefi Mabuela, highlighting the importance of a strong partnership with SAPS in the fight against crime. He noted that collaborative efforts consistently deliver results and called for continued co-operation between law enforcement agencies.