Thursday, December 15, 2011

South African woman caught smuggling drugs in her dreadlocks

A South African woman has been caught smuggling cocaine in her dreadlocks by customs officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Nobanda Nolubabalo, 23, was searched by police after arriving in Bangkok on a Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo via Doha.



Police saidthey had noticed a white substance in her hair, and upon searching Nolubabalo's dreadlocks, found 3.3 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated 4.5 million baht ($145,000). Police said Nolubabalo admitted to smuggling the drugs in her dreadlocks. She was to be paid 60,000 baht ($1,900) to deliver the cocaine to a customer at a hotel in Bangkok, Thai media reported.

Nolubabalo, nicknamed "Babsie," is from Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province. Thailand has severe penalties for drug convictions, including long jail sentences and even the death penalty for some offences.


YouTube link.

Nolubabalo is the 12th South African to be caught for drug trafficking in Thailand this year. The group Locked Up Abroad said that the number of South African drug mules imprisoned in foreign countries "is rising at an alarming rate every month."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

So for $2000 you screw your life away in prison or they just kill you. I think everyone knows what happens when you hide drugs and go into Thailand... It must have been bad in SA, truly a sad story.

Wild Rumpus said...

I feel so bad for this girl... sure she took her chances and has to pay the price... but she's just a pawn and acted out of economic desperation.

I suggest everyone watch National Geographic's "Locked Up Abroad" to understand the desperation and stupidity that got this woman to this point.

Camagu said...

She dug a hole not knowing that its gona be difficult for her to climb out of that hole. Pity no one can help her now, she is in another country, i feel sorry for her, u know her family is heartbroken, its so sad really. Frm Camagu in Btw

Anonymous said...

They were suppose to make a deal with lady and allow this lady to deliver the drugs to these high flyers and when exchange is taking place they can be caught.we need to get people behind this.surely the use poor people foR drug trafficking.this one must not be excuted for this one they must look for drugkings

Anonymous said...

I'm from s.a and i can clarify that she was not poor, so poverty didn't drive her to do this. i'd rather say greed. she was actually in university completing her degree

maya said...

What a shame to our country what this bi%@ done!