South African Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Heroin Smuggling

Rupert Arnoldus Bothma, a 37-year-old South African, has been sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment after being convicted of importing heroin in August 2018. The ruling was delivered on Friday, November 29, by Judge Prameeta Goordyal-Chittoo during a session of the criminal court.

Bothma was intercepted at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, where customs officials discovered that he had ingested 50 pellets containing a total of 614.7 grams of heroin, with an estimated street value of over 9.2 million rupees, according to the Forensic Science Laboratory report.

Upon his arrest, Bothma immediately confessed to the authorities, revealing that he had agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for 20,000 South African rands.

He stated that this money was intended to support his family, including two young children, his elderly parents, and other relatives.

During his detention, Bothma cooperated with law enforcement, participating in a controlled delivery attempt that ultimately failed.

He also pleaded guilty to the charges and expressed deep remorse for his actions.

In the court proceedings, his defense attorney highlighted several mitigating factors, such as Bothma’s acceptance of responsibility, his lack of prior criminal history, and his cooperation with the authorities.

However, Judge Goordyal-Chittoo stressed the seriousness of the offense, underlining the devastating impact that drugs have on society.

“One cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that dangerous drugs do have a disastrous effect on society and undue leniency should not be expected in such cases,” Judge Goordyal-Chittoo stated.

“The Court is acutely aware of the gravity of the offense, particularly given the charge of trafficking and the substantial quantity of drugs involved, valued at approximately 9,220,500 rupees.”

In addition to his prison sentence, Bothma has been ordered to pay a fine of 75,000 rupees, and the 500 US dollars found in his possession at the time of his arrest have been confiscated.

The court has also approved the destruction of the seized drugs in accordance with Supreme Court directives.

Source: l’Express