KARACHI, Sept 17: A drug smuggler was sentenced on Tuesday to suffer rigorous imprisonment for 14 years.

Judge Ali Nawaz Pirzada of the Special Anti-Narcotics Court (ANC) also imposed a fine of Rs1 million on Mohammed Sadiq alias Yaseen, who was arrested on June 25, 1999, with a little less than 10 kilograms of heroin at the airport by the customs drug enforcement authorities.

The drug smuggler, who would have to undergo an additional three-year RI in case of default on the payment, was convicted following he confessed to the offence before the trial judge.

Two of his accomplices — Asif Hussain, a sepoy of the customs, and Akbar Hussain, a sepoy of the Airport Security Force (ASF) — are on bail, while another two — Hidayatullah and Rahmat Khan alias Mashkoor — were declared absconders.

The same court also sentenced three Africans, including two women, to suffer different terms of rigorous imprisonment for drug smuggling.

Mrs Leonie Dorothea Heard, belonging to South Africa, was sentenced to a three-year term for attempting to smuggle 500 grams of heroin. The woman, who had hidden the contraband drug in her baggage, was arrested at the airport on July 3, this year by the customs.

The judge also fined her Rs50,000 and ordered that she would have to undergo an additional three-month term in case of default on payment.

The judge sentenced a 26-year-old Tanzanian woman to suffer rigorous imprisonment for two-and-half years.

Nalphala Saleh Tuwehy Haomoud, who had concealed 440 grams heroin in her rectum, was intercepted on June 6, this year at the airport by the customs.

She was sent to the JPMC where she excreted 44 drug-filled capsules.

The judge imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the Tanzanian woman, who would have to undergo an additional three-month term in case of default on the payment.

Another African drug smuggler, hailing from Guinea, was sentenced to a two-year term for carrying 200 grams heroin.

Boubacar Diallo, who had concealed the contraband drug in 30 pairs of nuts and bolts, was also fined Rs25,000.

The convict, arrested on Jan 18 this year at airport by the customs, will have to undergo an additional three-month term in case he defaults on the payment.