NORTHERN CAPE – A house in Upington that has been used as a drug den for years underwent demolition on Friday.
The house at 10 Carlton Street had gained notoriety as one of the worst, a haven for drug addicts and dealers – was taken down following a decision by the Upington Magistrate Court when the two convicts who were utilising the house were also slapped with a combined 57 years prison sentence.
Uzuma Uka Phillip Chinedu (37) and Izuchukwu Johnson Obi (37) were sentenced to a collective 57 years direct imprisonment for racketeering and drug dealing.
The pair was arrested in March 2017 by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation during a project driven investigation aimed at addressing drug dealing in the Upington area.
They were involved in the selling and distribution of drugs that were transported from Gauteng to Upington. A couple of drug transactions were also made which resulted in their arrest.
On Friday Chinedu was found guilty and sentenced to nine years for racketeering, fifteen years for dealing in drugs, fifteen years for corrupt activities and an additional one year for being in the county illegally. He was effectively sentenced to spend 40 years on jail.
Obi on the other hand was found guilty and sentenced to six years for racketeering, ten years for dealing in drugs and one year for being in the country illegally. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
The Provincial Head of the DPCI Major General Kholekile Galawe has applauded the team for the outstanding work and their resilience in fighting against drug crimes in the Northern Cape.
“That house was a magnet for bad elements. Both the demolition and the sentence of the two is testament to the commitment of the Hawks in removing those responsible for selling and distribution of drugs to our communities,” he said
