A Cape Town businessman has been sentenced an effective eight years behind bars for his role in a R400 million drug bust in the Western Cape a year ago.
Ebrahim Kara, in a plea and sentence agreement presented in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court, admitted to supplying one of his co-defendants with a truck for the purpose of collecting narcotics from Gauteng and transporting them back to Cape Town.
According to Provincial NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, as part of Kara’s sentencing, he was obligated to relinquish R2 million to the State.
Additionally, the court ordered Kara to surrender the 672 bricks of cocaine discovered in a truck he was operating.
In connection with this case, Kara’s accomplices, Elias Radebe (42) and Meshack Mzungezi Ngobese (47), were apprehended in August 2022 while driving on the N1 highway with the confiscated cocaine.
Both Radebe and Ngobese reached plea and sentencing agreements with the State.
In his plea and sentencing statement, Kara, a father of five, business owner, and IT consultant, revealed that after the truck was loaded with drugs in Gauteng, Radebe picked up Ngobese, who resided in the Western Cape.
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Together, they transported the drugs to Cape Town, stowing them in a crate.
On August 4, 2022, Kara drove the truck to N1 City, Goodwood, while his associates remained at that location.
Kara then proceeded to Athlone, where he was stopped by the police.
Law enforcement requested permission to search the vehicle, leading to the arrest of Kara, Radebe, and Ngobese.
All three men were present when the police discovered the 672 bricks of cocaine concealed among pine sheets.
During court proceedings, Senior State advocate Peter-John Damon emphasized that the confiscated cocaine was intended for commercial purposes, not for personal consumption.
He underscored the highly addictive nature of the substance, which poses serious risks to both physical and mental health.
Damon also highlighted the prevalence of drug-related offences in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court.
Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that Kara received a 15-year prison sentence, with seven years suspended for five years on the condition that he was not convicted of Section 4 or 5 of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992 during the suspension period.
