‘I DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS COCAINE IN BORROWED CAR’

MBABANE – A trip to get stock for his grocery shop in South Africa has proved to be costly for a businessman who allegedly found himself unknowingly transporting E17 million worth of cocaine.

This is the assertion made by Mandla Joseph Lukhuleni, who was on Sunday arrested at the Ngwenya Border Gate after being found in possession 43.7 7078 kilogrammes of cocaine. When he was nabbed by the vigilant police officers at the border gate, Lukhuleni (54) was driving a motor vehicle registered CA 867. He disclosed this in his application for bail filed by his lawyer Linda Dlamini of Mabila Attorneys at the High Court yesterday. 

In his founding affidavit, Lukhuleni stated that on January 22, he travelled to the Republic of South Africa to get stock for his two grocery shops. He claimed that while he was in South Africa, he borrowed a vehicle from one of his friends, Nokwanele Nomfusi Ngceni, to transport the stock for his shop and other material for renovating one of his shops.

The businessman averred that they did not inspect the motor vehicle with Ngceni when he gave it to him. According to the applicant (Lukheleni), this was not the first time for him to borrow the motor vehicle from Ngceni.

He contended that he travelled to Mozambique to look for shelves to renovate one of his grocery shops and returned to Swaziland.
How man was arrested

MBABANE – Mandla Joseph Lukhuleni narrated that upon arrival at Ngwenya Border Gate, a certain police officer requested permission to search the motor vehicle and he duly complied.

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