A 74-year-old Westville woman, Hannah Naidoo, has been re-arrested for allegedly drugging and robbing a 66-year-old woman at Suncoast Casino, marking her second arrest in under a year for similar crimes.
Naidoo, who is accused of targeting vulnerable elderly victims by befriending them at the casino, allegedly spiked her latest victim's coffee with an unknown substance on May 1. The woman suffered medical complications and was hospitalised. She was reportedly robbed of R20,000 in cash.
Naidoo appeared in the Durban Regional Court on Friday, facing charges of attempted murder and theft. State prosecutor Calvin Govender confirmed that the State intends to oppose bail. He also revealed that two additional complaints — from Umhlali and Sydenham — are expected to be added to the case.
This follows Naidoo’s initial arrest in October 2024 for a similar incident involving a 92-year-old woman. In that case, Naidoo allegedly used a sedative-laced milkshake to incapacitate the victim, who was later found unconscious in her Durban CBD flat. Jewellery and watches worth R337,000 were stolen. The victim spent several days in ICU. Naidoo was charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder and was released on R5,000 bail.
Naidoo’s attorney, Advocate Ashwin Baijnath, appealed for an expedited hearing, claiming she is undergoing chemotherapy for stage 4 cancer. However, by Monday, no medical documentation had been submitted to the court to support her condition or treatment needs. She remains in custody at Westville Prison pending a formal bail hearing.
Suncoast Casino has not commented on the matter.