A British mother and son accused of selling drugs and then fleeing to South Africa to avoid prosecution have lost their appeals for release.
Also read: UK mother and her son arrested in Cape Town for dealing in drugs
After months of hearings at Cape Town district courts, Caroline Sevier and her son, Callum Gower, have been remanded in custody while they fight extradition.
The Hawks and Interpol apprehended the duo earlier this year for allegedly fleeing their Sussex home while facing drug charges.
According to a statement from the Chief Crown Prosecutor, the information compiled in the extradition application dates back to June 2020, when a warrant of arrest was issued for Gower.
He and his mother are accused of running drug dens in Hastings, and the charges date back to 2014.
During raids at his home, police seized £23 075 (roughly R536 400) in cash and drugs worth £400 000.
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Sevier was stopped by police in March 2014 while driving her blue Vauxhall Astra, and police confiscated a set of keys from her possession. When they arrived at the house, they found a massive stash of hidden drugs, including dagga, MDMA, and cocaine.
Gower was arrested in Constantia, and Sevier was arrested at her home in Sea Point; they appeared in the Wynberg and Cape Town magistrates’ courts, respectively.
The state has since opposed their bail applications, citing Gower’s flight risk.
In his application submitted by advocate Bruce Hendricks, Gower claimed he was not a flight risk and said UK authorities had a weak case.
The application reads: ‘There is no direct evidence linking me to the illegal substances found and the Crown relies on circumstantial evidence. Specifically in respect of the “cocaine” found at the one premise.’
Hendricks has confirmed that the defence teams will file an appeal.
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