Alleged drug mule has two passports
The two passports of a Kenyan woman, who faces a charge of possession of cocaine valued at R500 000, was subject of discussion in the Durban Magistrate’s Court.
|||Durban - A Kenyan woman’s two passports were the subject of discussion during her brief appearance in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Phoebe Mwangi, 30, faces a charge of possession of 600g of cocaine valued at R500 000.
Prosecutor Sandile Xaba told the magistrate, Mahomed Motala, the matter had previously been adjourned to verify her status in the country.
“According to Home Affairs, her visa expired in 2012, so we have a case of an illegal immigrant in the country. This morning the court interpreter showed me a second passport with conflicting information.”
This passport, said Xaba, was issued in Kenya in 2012 and expires in 2022.
But in the docket, Xaba said, he had a picture of Mwangi’s passport, which expires in 2017.
“Home Affairs has this information (from her first passport). They need to look into this to determine if we have an illegal immigrant or not.”
Based on this, Xaba said the state was opposed to bail.
Her attorney said he had not seen this second passport and could not confirm its authenticity.
The Swahili court interpreter then explained to the court that one of Mwangi’s family members had given him the passport that morning.
The matter was adjourned to investigate the issue of the two passports and was expected back in court on September 8.
Daily News