A Bail deposit of N$6 000 that was paid to have a South African man charged with smuggling close to five kilogrammes of heroin into Namibia released from custody has finally been forfeited to the state.
This took place on Tuesday, three weeks after a warrant for the arrest of alleged drug smuggler Saeed Abdallah Dludla was issued when he failed to appear in the Windhoek Regional Court, where he was set to stand trial.
Dludla was arrested at Hosea Kutako International Airport on 11 February 2022.
He was due to stand trial in the Windhoek Regional Court on a charge of dealing in a prohibited dependence-producing substance, alternatively possession of a prohibited dependence-producing substance.
Dludla was arrested after 4.9kg of heroin, valued at about N$2.48 million, was allegedly discovered in his luggage after he had entered Namibia through Hosea Kutako International Airport on 11 February 2022.
Following his arrest, Dludla was held in custody for two years and nine months, until he was granted bail in an amount of N$6 000 during a court appearance at the start of November last year.
The bail deposit was paid near the start of December last year.
Magistrate Victor Nyazo issued a warrant for Dludla’s arrest after he failed to appear in the Windhoek Regional Court for the start of his trial on 12 August.
Dludla’s bail was also provisionally cancelled and forfeited to the state. The forfeiture of the bail deposit became final on Tuesday.
Dludla was granted bail on condition that he had to surrender his travel documents to the police officer in charge of the investigation of his case.
He also had to report to the investigating officer every Friday, and was not allowed to leave the district of Windhoek without informing the officer.
