Nigerian jailed 10 years over cocaine

Accra, April 4, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal on Wednesday sentenced a Nigerian who concealed 1,039.7 grams of cocaine in her brassier and pants to 10 years imprisonment.

Philomena Ziblic would be deported after serving her sentence which takes effect from the day of her arrest on June 28, last year. Mr Justice Frank Manu, Chairman of the Tribunal, ordered the destruction of the exhibit.

Ms Evelyn Keelson from the Attorney General's Department had earlier told the tribunal that on June 28, last year Ziblic arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to board an Alitalia flight to Italy and during a search, 20 pellets of the substance was concealed in her brassier.

The search also revealed that she had 27 pellets of similar substance in her pants.

Ms Keelson said the Narcotic Control Board officials at the airport readily suspected that Ziblic had some of the substance in her stomach, and therefore, took her to the 37 Military Hospital where an X-ray examination was conducted on her. According to Ms Keelson, the result revealed that the convict had foreign materials in her stomach and that she later expelled 27 pellets of the same substance from her stomach. When the convict was interrogated, she claimed ownership of all the substance.

Ziblic explained that the substance was given to her by someone she named as K.K. in Lome, to be given to one Godwin in Italy, for a fee of 5,000 Euros. Ms. Keelson stated that all the substance proved positive for cocaine, a narcotic drug, with a total weight of 1,039.7 grams. 04 April, 07