Latest news with #PaulineMbangula
The Citizen
4 days ago
- The Citizen
Drug mule sentenced to 8 years for smuggling cocaine from Brazil to SA
Drug mule sentenced to 8 years for smuggling cocaine from Brazil to SA A 30-year-old Namibian drug mule has been sentenced to eight years' direct imprisonment for drug dealing by the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court. This follows the arrest of Pauline Mbangula on September 22, 2024, shortly after she landed at OR Tambo International Airport from São Paulo, Brazil. At the time of her arrest, Mbangula was found to have swallowed at least 68 bullet-shaped packets filled with cocaine. ALSO READ: Police arrest another drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport A medical examination confirmed the presence of the drugs in her stomach, and she was later made to release the packets. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said that Mbangula claimed she had been taken to Brazil under false pretences. 'At the time of her arrest, she claimed that she was taken to Brazil by a man she had recently met under the false pretence that they were going on holiday,' said Mathe. 'On arrival in Brazil, she was then forced to swallow the drugs and traffic them to South Africa.' Mbangula was sentenced to eight years' direct imprisonment for drug dealing, of which three years were wholly suspended. The SAPS has once again warned young women not to fall prey to drug trafficking syndicates, highlighting the dire consequences of becoming involved in such crimes. ALSO READ: Fourth drug mule caught at OR Tambo In the past year alone, police have arrested more than 22 drug mules at OR Tambo International Airport. The regular arrests of drug mules at the airport should serve as a stern warning, SAPS said, that police in South Africa—particularly at this port of entry—remain on high alert to clamp down on criminal activity. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
11-07-2025
- The South African
SAPS warns young women of perils of drug trafficking
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned young women not to fall prey to drug trafficking syndicates, as this can have dire consequences. This follows the sentencing of a 30-year-old female Namibian drug mule by the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court. She was sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment for drug dealing, of which three years were wholly suspended. Pauline Mbangula was arrested on 22 September 2024 shortly after landing at OR Tambo International Airport from São Paulo, Brazil. At the time, she was found to have swallowed at least 68 bullets – packets filled with cocaine. A medical examination confirmed that there were drugs in her stomach, which she was later made to release. 'At the time of her arrest, she claimed that she was taken to Brazil by a man she recently met under false pretenses that they were going on holiday,' the South African Police Service said in a statement. Upon arrival in Brazil, she was forced to swallow the drugs and traffic them to South Africa. More than 22 drug mules have been arrested by police at OR Tambo International Airport in the past year. 'The regular arrests of drug mules at the 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,' the police said. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
10-07-2025
- The South African
Drug mule jailed as SAPS warns women against syndicates
A Namibian drug mule woman who attempted to smuggle drugs into South Africa has been sentenced to eight years in prison. The Kempton Park Magistrate's Court sentenced 30-year-old Pauline Mbangula to five years in prison after she was convicted of drug dealing. Three years of her sentence were suspended, meaning she will serve five years behind bars. Mbangula's ordeal began on 22 September 2024, when she arrived at OR Tambo International Airport from São Paulo, Brazil. Furthermore, police arrested her after a tip-off, and medical tests confirmed she had ingested drug-filled capsules. 'She claimed that she was taken to Brazil by a man she recently met under false pretences that they were going on holiday,' said the South African Police Service (SAPS). Also, once in Brazil, she was coerced into swallowing at least 68 cocaine-filled packets, also known as 'bullets', and smuggling them into South Africa. The drugs were later extracted from her body under medical supervision. SAPS revealed that Mbangula's case is one of over 22 drug mule arrests made at OR Tambo International Airport in the past year alone. 'The regular arrests of drug mules at the 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,' SAPS said. The police have called on young women, in particular, to remain vigilant and avoid being lured by false promises of travel or employment. 'This can have dire consequences,' SAPS stressed. With traffickers increasingly using social media and romantic manipulation to recruit couriers, SAPS urged communities to educate and protect vulnerable individuals. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Herald
09-07-2025
- The Herald
Women urged not to fall prey to drug traffickers as Namibian is jailed
A Namibian who swallowed 68 "bullets" filled with cocaine has been sentenced to a prison term. Pauline Mbangula, 30, was arrested in September shortly after landing from São Paulo in Brazil at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. A medical examination confirmed the drugs in her stomach and she was later made to release them. "At the time of her arrest, she claimed she was taken to Brazil by a man she recently met under false pretences they were going on holiday," said national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe. When she arrived in Brazil, she realised she had been duped. She was forced to swallow the drugs and traffic them to South Africa. Mbangula has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment for drug dealing, of which three years were suspended. In the past year, more than 22 drug mules have been arrested by police at OR Tambo International Airport. Mathe said the regular arrests of drug mules should send a stern warning that police are always on high alert to clamp down on criminality. "The police service is warning young women not to fall prey to drug trafficking syndicates as this has dire consequences." TimesLIVE
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- The Citizen
Here is how long you could spend in jail for drug trafficking in SA
A recent study showed that 34 countries still handed down the death penalty for drug offences like manufacturing and trafficking. Pellets of cocaine expelled from the stomach of Pauline Mbangula in 2024. Picture: Supplied / Saps Police have warned South Africans, especially young women, against the possible punishment for drug trafficking. The alert comes after a female drug mule arrested at OR Tambo International Airport was sentenced last week to eight years in prison. The sentence is at the low end of the legal scale, as a recent report showed that several nations still execute drug traffickers. Prison for drug mule Pauline Mbangula was arrested in September last year when she was found to be carrying at least 68 small pellets of cocaine in her stomach. The 30-year-old Namibian arrived in South Africa from Sao Paulo and was soon the subject of a medical examination. The Kempton Park Magistrates Court handed her an eight-year sentence, although three of those were wholly suspended. Mbangula told the court that she was lured to Brazil by a man she had recently met under the guise of going on a holiday. 'Upon arrival in Brazil, she was then forced to swallow the drugs and traffic them to South Africa,' confirmed national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe. The Namibian is one of more than 20 individuals arrested at Johannesburg's main airport in the last 12 months. 'The regular arrests of drug mules 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,' stated Mathe. International punishments. A recent study released by Harm Reduction International (HRI) shows that 34 countries retained the death penalty for drug offences. HRI stated that at least 615 people were executed for drug offences in 2024, predominantly in China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Singapore. 'Executions are assumed to have been carried out in North Korea and Vietnam, on which information is lacking due to state secrecy and censorship,' HRI stated. Additionally, 377 offenders were sentenced to death in 19 counties, while at least 2 300 offenders across 19 countries were on death row for drug charges. 'In the 34 countries that retain the death penalty for drug offences, capital punishment is typically applied for cultivating and manufacturing controlled substances, and for smuggling, trafficking or importing or exporting controlled substances,' stated the report. NOW READ: One in four alcohol addicted teens first exposed by family members
