Record cocaine case postponed

TWO Angolans who were allegedly caught near Keetmanshoop in late 2007 with a Namibian record quantity of cocaine hidden in their car made a first appearance in the High Court on Thursday.

Daniel Joao Paulo (42) and Josu̩ Manuel Antonio (43) are set to face charges of dealing in dangerous dependence-producing drugs, alternatively possessing such drugs, when they are tried in the High Court.Judge President Petrus Damaseb postponed their case to June 18, when they are set to make another pre-trial appearance.Paulo and Antonio are accused of dealing in a total of 39,35 kilograms of cocaine, valued at N$20,125 million.They were arrested after 30,1 kg of cocaine, valued at N$15,5 million, was allegedly found hidden in a secret compartment under their car when they were stopped at a Police road block near Keetmanshoop on December 20 2007.Their car was then kept in a garage at the Keetmanshoop Police Station for more than nine months, until more cocaine Р9,25 kg of the drug, valued at N$4,625 million Рwas allegedly found hidden in a spare wheel of the car on September 30 last year, it is charged in the indictment against the two men.The combined quantity of the cocaine is the largest single quantity of that drug yet to have been confiscated in Namibia.Paulo and Antonio have remained in custody since their arrest.