Man wanted by US for conspiracy and other charges denied bail

A 40-year-old Indian national wanted by the United States (US) for various crimes has been denied bail.

Rahul Jaiswal appeared in the Umhlali Periodical Court in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday where he was remanded into custody following the bail hearing.

Jaiswal was arrested in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, and is wanted by the US on allegations of conspiracy, drug distribution, money laundering, and importing controlled substances.

Married to South African

The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-kara said Jaiswal is married to a South African citizen.

“South Africa has received an Extradition Request from the United States government, outlining a series of charges against Jaiswal, which inter alia claim that he is leading an organised criminal group under the guise of JAISWAL DTO (DTO).

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Crimes

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), DTO was allegedly involved in the illegal importation, distribution, and misbranding of prescription drugs, operating from India, and reaching customers in the USA,” Ramkisson-kara said.

In mitigation of bail, Jaiswal highlighted personal circumstances, including his marriage to a South African citizen, financial responsibility towards his family, and information relating to his employment in India.

The state argued that Jaiswal’s status as an Indian foreign national, his lack of permitted employment in South Africa, and his ties to the alleged criminal activities posed significant risks and that he was a flight risk.

Extradition

The court last month found Jaiswal had not demonstrated why his release on bail would be in the interest of justice and denied his application.

“The case returns to court on 26 January 2024 for a pre–inquiry into the Extradition Request hearing. The bail application was successfully opposed by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Deneshree Naicker and Senior State Advocate Naveen Sewparsat.

“This legal proceeding highlights the international nature of criminal activities and the cooperation between countries in addressing transnational crimes,” Ramkisson-kara said.

Ramkisson-kara added the charges and denial of bail proved how serious the allegations against Jaiswal were, emphasising the legal complexities of extradition cases.

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