Pregnant South African Woman Faces 11 Years for Smuggling 1 Kg of Meth in Underwear to Bali
Prosecutors Seek Heavy Sentence for Drug Courier Caught at Ngurah Rai Airport
DENPASAR, NusaBali.com – A pregnant South African woman, Lungile Ntombenhile Mzimela (32), is facing 11 years in prison after prosecutors accused her of smuggling one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine into Bali by hiding it in her underwear.
The six-and-a-half-month pregnant woman appeared before the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday afternoon (Nov 4), where Prosecutor Ni Luh Putu Suparmi from the Bali High Prosecutor’s Office delivered the sentencing demand.
In her closing statement, the prosecutor said Mzimela was “legally and convincingly proven guilty” of violating Article 113 paragraph (2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which regulates the unlawful sale or purchase of narcotics exceeding five grams.
Prosecutors demanded a 11-year prison sentence, a Rp 1 billion fine, and a six-month substitute jail term if she fails to pay the fine.
“Her actions clearly go against the government’s program to eradicate drug trafficking,” Suparmi told the panel of judges led by Iman Luqmanul Hakim.
Caught with 1 Kg Meth at Ngurah Rai
The case began on July 13, 2025, when customs officers Early Yuski Wardani and Ni Made Fitriani at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport noticed Mzimela behaving nervously as she walked through the arrival area around 10:50 p.m.
A body search quickly revealed a black plastic package containing crystal-like substances hidden inside her underwear. Laboratory tests later confirmed the substance was methamphetamine weighing 1.093 kilograms gross or 990.83 grams net.
Authorities also seized her Samsung phone, US$100 cash, Rp 1,002,000, and two boarding passes under her name for the routes Johannesburg–Singapore and Singapore–Denpasar aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ 946.
Worked for Drug Syndicate
According to prosecutors, Mzimela acted under the orders of a fellow South African woman named Sindi, who is now on the police’s wanted list. Sindi allegedly offered Mzimela 20,000 South African rand (around Rp17 million) to deliver the drugs to Bali, along with US$500 to cover her visa and travel expenses.
The deal was arranged a few days before departure at Sabby Hotel in Johannesburg. Mzimela then flew from Johannesburg to Singapore and continued to Denpasar — but her journey ended at Ngurah Rai Airport when customs officers discovered the meth.
Defense Seeks Leniency
After hearing the prosecution’s demands, defense attorney Putu Kakoi Adi Surya from PBH Peradi Denpasar immediately read the defense plea. He acknowledged the seriousness of the charge but urged the court to consider humanitarian grounds, especially Mzimela’s pregnancy.
“We believe the honorable judges will not rush in deciding this case but will weigh the level of guilt and the sense of justice,” Kakoi said.
He added that law enforcement should reflect both justice and humanity, quoting legal philosopher Dr. Theo Huijbers:
“If we only follow justice according to the law, we might revive the old saying: those who strictly obey the law often harm true justice.”
The defense asked the judges to consider Mzimela’s polite demeanor, honest confession, and pregnant condition as mitigating factors.
“If she must be punished, please impose the lightest possible sentence — one that truly represents the living sense of justice,” Kakoi concluded. *tr
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