A Cape Town pensioner has been convicted after millions of rands worth of drugs and cash were uncovered in a Hawks investigation. Picture Credit: DefenseWeb
By Aisha Zardad
Cape Town – A 67-year-old pensioner has been convicted on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in the Khayelitsha Regional Court in Cape Town.
Grace Nomazizi Kunjana was convicted earlier this week after admitting to the charges. Her arrest dates back to March 2011, when Hawks officers took her into custody.
According to Hawks provincial spokesperson Siyabulela Vukubi, members of the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) acted on intelligence about drugs being stored at a property in Kenilworth.
“Information was operationalised, and the premises were searched. The accused was found on the premises, and upon searching, 24,719 mandrax tablets to the value of over R1 million were discovered concealed in potato bags,” Vukubi said.
Further investigations led authorities to a second property in Wynberg, also linked to Kunjana.
“At the premises, 262,818 mandrax tablets valued at over R11 million as well as 2.1kg of crystal methamphetamine (tik) valued at R262,500 were seized. Furthermore, cash to the amount of R1,823,000 that was also concealed in potato bags was seized,” Vukubi said.
Kunjana was ultimately convicted on two counts of drug trafficking and 14 counts of money laundering. Her sentencing is scheduled for May 14.
