Man in court following cocaine mule death

DENVER ISAACS BRUNO da Silva Paiva (29) made his first court appearance in Windhoek yesterday after a cocaine-smuggling operation went wrong and resulted in the death of his 26-year-old wife, Darlin, on Tuesday.

The Namibian couple reportedly touched down in Windhoek from Brazil on Tuesday. The woman, who apparently fell ill on the plane, died after arriving home.During an autopsy, Police discovered 31 sachets of cocaine weighing approximately 410 grams in her abdomen.Later that night, Police allegedly confiscated 13 more sachets of cocaine that had been swallowed by the Angolan-born man.The drugs weighed about 175 grams and have an estimated street value of N$87 500.According to the Police, the total amount of drugs confiscated from the couple is valued at N$292 500.Da Silva Paiva appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on charges of dealing in cocaine.The case was postponed to May 16 for further investigation.He was not granted bail, and will remain in the Windhoek Central Prison until then.The couple have a five-year-old daughter, who will now move in with Mrs Da Silva Paiva’s elder sister, according to family members.The family has also disputed reports that Da Silva Paiva had called the ambulance, which in turn summoned the Police to the scene.”He never tried to call the ambulance.He physically restrained [his sister-in-law] from calling for help,” a family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed yesterday.She added that by the time the ambulance was called, Darlin was already dead.Being led past reporters outside the court yesterday, Da Silva murmured that his wife’s death was not intentional.”It was just an accident, I would never do something to kill my wife”, he said.The woman, who apparently fell ill on the plane, died after arriving home.During an autopsy, Police discovered 31 sachets of cocaine weighing approximately 410 grams in her abdomen. Later that night, Police allegedly confiscated 13 more sachets of cocaine that had been swallowed by the Angolan-born man.The drugs weighed about 175 grams and have an estimated street value of N$87 500.According to the Police, the total amount of drugs confiscated from the couple is valued at N$292 500.Da Silva Paiva appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on charges of dealing in cocaine.The case was postponed to May 16 for further investigation.He was not granted bail, and will remain in the Windhoek Central Prison until then.The couple have a five-year-old daughter, who will now move in with Mrs Da Silva Paiva’s elder sister, according to family members.The family has also disputed reports that Da Silva Paiva had called the ambulance, which in turn summoned the Police to the scene.”He never tried to call the ambulance.He physically restrained [his sister-in-law] from calling for help,” a family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed yesterday. She added that by the time the ambulance was called, Darlin was already dead.Being led past reporters outside the court yesterday, Da Silva murmured that his wife’s death was not intentional.”It was just an accident, I would never do something to kill my wife”, he said.