Dreadlock drug smuggler’s letter reveals info on case

A letter from alleged “dreadlock drug smuggler” Nolubabalo Nobanda, currently in Thai jail, has reacher her family in South Africa, revealing critical information about her case.

South African national Nobanda was arrested at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in December with what was supposedly 1.5kg of cocaine embedded in fake dreadlocks in her hair.

After a month and half of no contact from their daughter, her parents told South African news service Sapathat they had received a letter from her. Most crucially, the letter said that she will only be charged with smuggling 600g of cocaine because they won’t include the baking soda cutting agent in the measurement.

In a letter received by her family this week, Nobanda wrote that she was in good spirits and upbeat about the coming trial since she would only be charged for attempting to smuggle 600g of cocaine rather than the initial 1.5kg as earlier reported.

This could considerably reduce her sentence.

Nobanda also wrote that at the time of her arrest she was with her friend Sulezi Rwanqa. She wrote that Rwanqa betrayed her and successfully made a safe return to South Africa.

When asked where Rwanqa was, locals in Grahamstown said they had spotted her partying in different taverns in the township.

Nobanda told her parents that she was appointed a Bangkok state lawyer.

The family said it would also be sending a legal adviser and a family member to comfort Nobanda during her court appearance in March.

“I can confirm to you that a family member will travel to attend the trial and we are communicating with the South African embassy that side,” Nobanda’s mother Honjiswa Mbewu said.

In the emotional letter, Nobanda asked for her family for their understanding and forgiveness.

“First and probably the most important thing I want to say is I’m sorry to all of you. I know that I have disappointed, hurt and humiliated the whole family. I ask for forgiveness,” Nobanda wrote.

In her letter, Nobanda also indicated that she was coping in prison and praying hard for a safe return home.

“I try to stay strong and ask of God to strengthen me every day. The bottom line is, in life one has to pay for the mistakes they make and I have come to accept my punishment. My only regret now is that you also have to suffer because of my mistakes,” she wrote.