KARACHI: 14 foreigners convicted of drug smuggling
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 9: The special anti-narcotics court, headed by Judge Ali Nawaz Pirzada, convicted on Thursday 14 Nigerian drug traffickers in separate cases and sentenced them to different prison terms.
Only one of the drug traffickers was arrested in the downtown, whereas the others were arrested at Quaid-i-Azam International Airport where they had reached to board different flights. All of them were arrested by the Anti- narcotics Force.
Those caught at the airport had hidden different quantities of heroin, stuffed into insulated capsules in their stomach. All of them were sent to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where they excreted the heroin-filled capsules.
The judge sentenced Tinet to eight years’ imprisonment for possessing two kgs of the contraband drug. The drug smuggler was arrested on September 2, 1999, in a hotel room at Lea Market.
The ANF official also seized the contraband drug from the Nigerian, who was arrested on a lead given by a local drug operator, Sharif Billo.
The same court had earlier sentenced Billo to three years’ imprisonment on a drug charge.
The drug trafficker was also fined Rs50,000. He would have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.
Edward, arrested on May 10 last year, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for possessing 725 gram heroin. The drug trafficker, who had hidden 55 capsules in his stomach, was also fined Rs50,000. He would undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment in case of default on the payment.
The judge awarded an identical sentence to Sunday, who was arrested on Nov 24 last year. He had hidden 600 gram heroin, filled in 50 capsules.
Chigozie, arrested on Dec 3 last year, was also sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. He possessed 726 gram heroin, stuffed into 48 capsules.
The judge sentenced Obiora and Kadibia, arrested on Dec 12 last year, to four years’ imprisonment. They were carrying 723 gram and 700 gram heroin, respectively.
The judge sentenced four Nigerian drug traffickers, arrested separately, to five years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000 each.
They were Iffanyi, arrested on June 30 last year (800 gram heroin in 50 capsules), Henri, arrested on Nov 22 last year (847 gram in 61 capsules), Gosiph, arrested on Aug 11 last year (885 gram in 74 capsules) and Chukawuma, arrested on Dec 3 last year (920 gram in 55 capsules).
They would have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment if they failed to pay the fine.
Two Nigerians, Mathew and Celestino, were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Mathew was arrested on Aug 6 last year and later excreted 42 capsules, containing 524 gram contraband drug. The other drug trafficker was arrested on Aug 6 last year and was found carrying 453 gram heroin, stuffed into 34 capsules.
The judge also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each on the drug traffickers.
Two Nigerians were sentenced to suffer three and a half years’ imprisonment.
Okwu and Hendrix were arrested on Dec 8 last year, and they carried 569 gram (32 capsules) and 525 gram heroin (36 capsules), respectively.
They were also fined Rs50,000 each. They would have to undergo an additional three months’ imprisonment if they failed to pay the fine.
