Cape Town – A Free State man who was arrested for selling explosives in Vierfontein has been sentenced in the Viljoenskroon Regional Court.
Gift Opperman Mogorosi, 35, was found guilty of the possession of explosives.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Captain Christopher Singo, Mogorosi was arrested earlier this year.
Singo said on January 29, the SAPS received information about a man who was selling explosives in Vierfontein.
He said police followed up on the information and Mongorosi was arrested.
“During the arrest, police discovered 27 blasting cartridges, 10 electric shock tube igniters and 68 shock tube detonators.
“The case was handed over to the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Welkom for further investigation which culminated in the conviction of the accused,” Singo said.
The court sentenced Mongorosi to nine years’ direct imprisonment.
The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
In an unrelated incident, a drug mule was sentenced to eight years’ direct imprisonment in the Bellville Regional Court.
Brazilian national Tania Cavalcante Amarante, 28, entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.
She was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment of which seven years was suspended for five years.
Amarante was arrested on February 21 by the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb).
Amarante was caught at the Cape Town International Airport trying to smuggle drugs into the country from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Qatar airlines.
Cocaine weighing 2.7kg and 200g of heroin worth more than R870 000 were found in her luggage and shoes.
IOL