[imagesource: Sussex Police]

In January, a British mom and son were caught hiding out in upmarket Cape Town suburbs after fleeing their home country for dealing in drugs and money laundering.

Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said via IOL they were busted in Constantia and Sea Point on January 26 after being traced by Interpol, UK authorities, the National Task Force and the Hawks.

The pair – Caroline Sevier, 51, and Callum Gower, 27 – had been on the run for six years, and it seems a Sussex Police’s strange tongue-in-cheek Valentine’s Day appeal for a £500 reward to find them had worked.

The Sussex Police issued a series of romantic messages offering £500 for information leading to the arrest of four criminals, including Callum Gower.

Per The Daily Mail, the post, made by the force in 2018, read: “Where is our lost love from Hastings and Rye Callum Gower?”

“All we wanted was to spend some quality time with people who’ve been trying to avoid us lately.”

“Can you play cupid and help us secure a date with some of the county’s most wanted people? There’s every chance it will be back to our place for coffee!”

Image: Sussex Police

“We will be appealing for those who have broken our hearts to meet us for the date they owe us,” the post concluded.

The plan appears to have worked, with Gower and his mother, Caroline, being arrested in South Africa shortly afterwards.

Gower was arrested after a warrant for his arrest was issued on charges of dealing in drugs, money laundering, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of a dangerous weapon and pointing of an object believed to be a firearm. His mother was arrested on charges of dealing in drugs and money laundering.

Last time we checked, an application to extradite the mother and son to their hometown of Sussex in England was underway in the Cape Town court.

As per a declaration from the Chief Crown Prosecutor, the details gathered in the submission trace back to June 2020, coinciding with the issuance of an arrest warrant for Gower.

Image: Sussex Police

Gower and his mother had been accused of running drug houses in Hastings since 2014, according to statements by UK detectives. When they raided his home, police managed to confiscate £23,075 (R554,000) in cash and drugs valued at nearly £400,000 (R9,6 million).

The alleged drug dealer offered R200,000 for his release on bail. Their bail application was, however, opposed by the State, which outlined that Gower was a flight risk, per IOL. In his application, submitted by advocate Bruce Hendricks, Gower claimed he was not a flight risk and said UK authorities did not have any real evidence.

“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 premises, I am not connected to those drugs or that property.

“My fingerprints are only alleged to be found on one empty ‘freezer bag’.”

The court documents state that in March 2014, Sevier was stopped while driving her blue Vauxhall Astra and police seized a set of keys in her possession. When they arrived at the home, they discovered a stash of drugs hidden all across the house comprising dagga, MDMA, cocaine and other drugs. Fingerprints confirmed that Gower had been handling these illicit substances.

Per The Sun, Gower will return to court on May 23 when extradition procedures to have him deported will be finalised.

Sevier is supposed to learn her fate today.

A South African police source said despite Gower being “very late for his date”, Sussex Police are keen to “rekindle the romance and move on”.

“They hope to spend at least a couple of years together this time.”

Indeed, the applicant faces lengthy terms of imprisonment for the alleged offences.

[source:dailymail]