Cape Town - Drug kingpin Fadwaan “Vet” Murphy has been sentenced to 18 years in prison and fined R2 million, while his ex-wife Shafieka was handed 15 years in the Western Cape High Court.
In a further blow, Murphy, who is said to be worth R54m, will have his assets, which include three properties and 14 vehicles, auctioned after they were seized by the Assets Forfeiture Unit (AFU).
It took the State nearly a decade to get Murphy, 51, off the streets after he was originally slapped with 229 charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca), ranging from money laundering to drug dealing.
In July 2023, his cases made South African history when he became the first drug dealer to be convicted under Poca.
The State proved Murphy created an illegal enterprise, his business Ulterior Trading Solutions CC, to carry out criminal activities.
The community of Mitchells Plain, where Murphy and his gang, the Dixies, established their stronghold, hailed the sentencing and are hoping for more successes in bringing down Murphy’s drug and gang empire.
Sentencing was handed down by Acting Judge Dianne Davis on Friday.
The conviction was attributed to the dedication of Captain Nadene Britz and her team at Western Cape Counter-Intelligence.
Murphy was sentenced to 12 years for Poca; seven years’ imprisonment on each charge of 139 counts of dealing in drugs; and one year’s imprisonment on each count for each of the 73 charges of money laundering.
Counts 223, 224 and 225 related to the three properties owned by Murphy in Worcester and Lentegeur, which were seized by the AFU and had been obtained using the proceeds of crime. For this, he was slapped with an 80-year sentence.
All Murphy’s immovable and movable properties will be auctioned and proceeds will be retained by the Criminal Assets Recovery Account.
Murphy's Ulterior Trading Solutions company, which was listed as accused number six on the charge sheet, was fined R2m.
Judge Davis said all the sentences would run concurrently and that an 18-year sentence was imposed together with the fine.
Murphy’s ex-wife, Shafieka, who is the mother of his two children, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment after receiving 12 years for three counts of Poca; seven years for each count of the 130 charges of attempted dealing in drugs; six months’ imprisonment for each count of 25 charges relating to money laundering; and 15 years for one count of dealing in drugs.
Lentegeur Community Policing Forum’s Byron de Villiers welcomed the ruling.
However, he added: “Our concern is that we hope that the other gangs don’t see this as an opportunity to move in on Vet’s stronghold.”
Raafiqah Ganger of Lentegeur West Neighbourhood Watch, and PR councillor of the GOOD Party, said: “We salute the justice system for taking on this case and showing that we can get rid of the scourge of gangsterism and drugs if we stand united as a community.
“However, we note that there is still drug dealing taking place at Fadwaan Murphy’s place. We want to know about the properties belonging to him.”
Murphy’s empire began to crumble on September 15, 2015, when police discovered his tik-packaging warehouse hidden in Reindeer Street, Lotus River.
At the property, police found Shafieka and two other women who cannot be identified as they turned State witness.
Police confiscated drugs and cash worth R4m, which included 7 985 packets of tik and 10 400 units of heroin.
The State proved via cellphone records how Murphy and Shafieka had run the operation between the warehouse and Worcester.
Initially, Murphy shared the dock with his sister Glenda Bird, who died of cancer in 2019, Leon Paulsen and Dominic Davidson, who were acquitted.
Murphy’s legal team is set to head back to court on January 29 after launching an appeal.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za