Two South African men jailed for cannabis smuggling

Following Customs operations in September last year, two South African nationals have been found guilty at Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday of the illegal importation of cannabis.

Jacobus Frederick Engelbrecht, 24, was stopped by Customs officers at Belfast City Airport, when he arrived from Johannesburg via Heathrow in September 2003. He was arrested after Customs officers discovered over 15kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of £46,000 concealed in his luggage. He was today jailed for two years.

In a separate seizure Mark Human, 43, was also stopped by Customs officers at Belfast City Airport, after arriving from Johannesburg in September 2003. Human was arrested after Customs officers discovered 20kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of £61,000 concealed in his luggage. He was also jailed for two years.

In sentencing both men, the Judge P. Markey said, “while being lenient due to their previous good record, he wished to send a message to Johannesburg that smuggling cannabis into Northern Ireland would not be tolerated”.

Commenting on the case, Customs’ Head of Investigation Northern Ireland Jane Salt said: “The removal of over £107,000 worth of cannabis from the criminal supply chain shows Customs’ commitment to the multi-agency fight against drugs in Northern Ireland. The vigilance of Customs officers has stopped a significant amount of drugs reaching our streets.

“In line with the UK Government’s drugs strategy, we work with our partners at home and abroad to reduce the availability of Class A drugs, while continuing to detect and prosecute smugglers of other illegal drugs such as cannabis. These cases should act as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved in drug smuggling," she added.

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