By Syafiq Affendy
A 42-year-old Bruneian single mother of three has been sentenced by the Brisbane High Court, Australia, to seven years in prison for smuggling 500 grammes of heroin into the country.
The drug mule was arrested on December 15, 2009 upon her arrival at Coolangatta International Airport, South Queensland, Australia after boarding a low-cost airline which operates from a neighbouring country.
Officers from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) discovered 300 grammes of heroin hidden in a towel worn by the offender, as well as 21 capsules containing 200 grammes of heroin swallowed by the offender, which were later extracted.
Further investigations revealed that the woman was involved with an international drug trafficking syndicate that lures their victims through e-mails by first approaching as partners in a diamond cleaning liquid business.
The woman sent thousands of dollars to invest in the 'business' but the products never showed up. The woman was then offered to keep smuggled money with a lucrative pay of $20,000 to $30,000.
The syndicate, believed to be run by an African male and living in a neighbouring country using a student's pass of one of the private higher education institutions, continued to communicate and arranged for meetings in the neighbouring country.
The Bruneian woman unknowingly fell victim and became the syndicate's drug mule.
According to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the international drug trafficking syndicate targets victims from countries listed as having low crime rates and have very strict drug abuse laws.
It's to the syndicate's advantage if the victim's countrymen are portrayed as 'law abiding citizens'. It serves as a bonus for the syndicate as this increases the chances of the drug mule to easily pass through the immigration checks of the country they visit.
NCB has once again called on citizens and residents of Brunei to avoid falling victim to such lucrative offers as it will only bring trouble.
It has also urged airlines employees, officers and staff of embassies or any citizen or resident of Brunei who fly out often to be more aware and be extra vigilant when asked to bring items out of the country by checking for any secret compartments in the bags where illegal items or substances could be hidden.
* She is the 5th ...
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