A Namibian woman who became entangled in an international drug smuggling case has been sentenced to eight years behind bars in South Africa.
Pauline Mbangula, aged 30, was convicted for drug possession and trafficking at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty. Her sentencing took place on June 24, following her arrest in September last year at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.
Mbangula was apprehended after flying in from São Paulo, Brazil. Investigations revealed she had swallowed more than 68 cocaine pellets, which were later recovered by authorities.
According to reports, Mbangula became involved with a Nigerian man she had met online. The two reportedly travelled from Luanda, Angola, to São Paulo, but she returned alone to Johannesburg, where her arrest took place.
Her case has sparked wider conversations around how young women are lured into drug trafficking schemes through short-term relationships and online connections.
This is not an isolated case. Another Namibian woman, Helvi Ndapanda Kristian, aged 26, remains jailed in Ethiopia. Kristian was arrested in January last year at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa after authorities discovered over 4.7 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage. She too had been returning from São Paulo, a known drug trafficking hub.
Both cases continue to raise concern over the increasing risks faced by young women who fall prey to such dangerous schemes.
