Durban - The family of alleged Pietermaritzburg drug kingpin couple, Hoosen and Yasmin Mohamed, expressed their anger outside the city’s magistrate’s court on Thursday after the couple and five of their alleged drug runners were denied bail.
“This is not justice,” said one of the couple’s relatives, who declined to be named.
The couple, alleged to be among KwaZulu-Natal’s biggest dealers in crack cocaine, with Norman Govender, Koobashen Nelson, Tony Ramdew, Azam Ismail and Suleiman Ismail Shaik, were denied bail by Magistrate Ashin Singh on the grounds that if released on bail, they would pose a threat to the public’s peace and security.
They have been charged with multiple counts of dealing in cocaine and racketeering.
The State alleges that the couple were managing a drug enterprise and conducting their illegal activities from their homes at 4 and 26 Mars Crescent in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, for many years.
The Mohameds are alleged to have supervised and controlled the enterprise and were responsible for the actions of their drug runners.
The couple were alleged to have set the prices and delegated the sale to their runners.
All the suspects were arrested during simultaneous raids earlier this year, after a three-year undercover operation by crime intelligence officials and the Hawks.
It is alleged the runners sold drugs to undercover agents posing as customers on 11 occasions.
About R30 000 was seized during the raids. The police also seized Krugerrands, gold jewellery and electronic equipment. The couple’s assets, which include three houses and several vehicles, have been seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit on the basis that these were acquired as a result of illegal activity.
In their affidavits to the court in support of their bail application, the accused indicated that they intend pleading not guilty to the charges against them.
Several of the accused, including Hoosen Mohamed, have a long list of previous convictions, which include dealing in cocaine and possession of cocaine at 4 Mars Crescent.
Magistrate Singh said, “I have no hesitation in concluding that this premises is a drug den. It is clear that a drug enterprise is operating from this house, which disturbs the public order and endangers members of the public.”
Several petitions from various religious, community police forums and government organisations were submitted as evidence by the State, in which society’s outrage at the drug scourge in Pietermaritzburg was reflected. The affidavits all requested that bail be denied to the suspects.
Singh said that this was indicative of the growing anger and concern at the prevalence of drug-related activity in the city.
“If the accused are released on bail, there is no guarantee that their illegal behaviour will not continue. Their credibility weighs heavily against them in terms of their previous convictions,” Singh said, adding that due to the racketeering charges, the accused faced lengthy jail terms which could entice them to flee.
The magistrate was quick to point out, however, that he was not determining the guilt of the accused at the bail application but was simply highlighting the strength of the State’s case against them.
The case has been adjourned to November 15 when the matter will be transferred to the regional court for trial.
Daily News