Kenyan-Born Woman Jailed in Australia for Ksh 12B Cocaine Smuggling
A woman originally from Kenya, residing in the United Kingdom (UK), has been handed a 33-year prison sentence for trafficking cocaine between the UK and Australia.
The decision was handed down by the Southwark Crown Court in Australia on Wednesday, January 31. This followed the conviction of a 59-year-old woman in a case where her husband also faced charges as a co-defendant.
The decision came after the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Australia’s Border Force confiscated 512 kilograms of cocaine valued at Ksh 12 billion (approximately 57 million pounds) upon its arrival in Sydney in May 2021, transported via a commercial flight.
The officials followed the trail of the concealed drug-filled metal containers to a UK-based private freight services company. This company, in operation since 2015, was registered under the suspects mentioned earlier.
The plastic coverings of the metal toolboxes bore the fingerprints of her spouse, and receipts indicating the acquisition of these specific toolboxes were discovered in their residence in the United Kingdom.
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The NCA also found that 37 shipments were dispatched to Australia from June 2019 onwards. Among these, 22 were trial shipments, while 15 were found to contain cocaine.
After being apprehended on June 21, 2021, the NCA discovered a significant sum of money and silver bars coated with gold at their home in Hanwell, London.
The authorities additionally discovered nearly 3 million pounds in cash hidden within boxes and suitcases at a storage facility in West London.
Nevertheless, the pair refuted allegations related to transnational drug trafficking and money laundering.
While in their native land of India, the couple is concurrently confronting accusations of having murdered their adopted son.
After the discovery of the 11-year-old who had been stabbed and abandoned by the roadside on February 8, 2017, in Gopal, Gujarat province, the Indian legal system initiated investigations regarding the extradition process.
The Southwark Crown Court found them guilty on 12 charges related to exportation and 18 charges linked to money laundering.
Kenyan-Born Woman Jailed in Australia for Ksh 12B Cocaine Smuggling