Cape Town Businessman Bags 8 Years Over Involvement in R400 Million Drug Bust

In the culmination of a high-profile drug bust case taking its roots in Cape Town, businessman Ebrahim Kara, the third accused, has received a sentence of eight years. His sentencing is part of a plea agreement presented in the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court. Kara's self-admitted involvement in the case revolved around his provision of a truck to a co-conspirator for the transportation of the illegal substances from Gauteng to Cape Town.

Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, revealed that Kara's sentencing involved the forfeiture of R2 million in assets to the state. "Also, he has been ordered by the court to relinquish the 672 bricks of seized cocaine, discovered in the truck he admitted to driving," he added.

Kara's co-accused, Elias Radebe (42) and Meshack Mzungezi Ngobese (47), were previously found guilty of possessing cocaine in August 2022, leading to their arrest on the N1 highway. They received effective sentencing of one and six years of direct imprisonment, respectively.

Kara, an IT consultant and business owner, confessed in his plea and sentencing agreement that he facilitated the transportation of drugs from Gauteng following loading, prior to Radebe picking Ngobese.

The case's senior state advocate, Peter-John Damon, drove home the gravity of the charges, stating that this large cocaine haul was intended not for personal use but for commercial exploitation, including export and sale. "Such addictive substances bear a significant impact on physical and mental health, reflected in the high frequency of drug dealing offences addressed by the Khayelitsha Priority Crimes Court."

More stringent sentencing awaited Kara, considering his sentence consists of 15 years of which seven were suspended, conditional upon him not receiving further convictions under Section 4 or 5 of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992 within a five-year window.