The trial of former Standard Bank manager Raed Cupido is set to begin in the Cape Town Regional Court on Monday.
Cupido was arrested last year after police discovered 115 bricks of cocaine with an estimated street value of R18 million at a self-storage facility.
Authorities also recovered firearms and ammunition, including some weapons that were allegedly not legally registered in South Africa.
The discoveries have linked Cupido to an alleged international drug syndicate.
Cupido’s co-accused, Christopher Carelse, was shot and killed on 17 June, just two weeks after he reportedly turned state witness in the case.
The circumstances surrounding Carelse’s death are also expected to form part of the proceedings as the trial gets under way.