The Prosecutor in the Nayele Ametefeh (The big lady) cocaine case in the UK, Ravinder John has stated that the accused could be sentenced to serve a 15-year jail term.
According to him, the “top sentencing bracket for somebody who is couriering drugs is basically based on five kilograms and this case is double that.”
He further explained that in the UK, “the starting point for category one is 10 years and given that she has double what category one is based on, which is five kilograms, her sentence will be about 10 to 15 years.” ..continue..
Ruby Appiah, alias Nayele Ametefeh on Thursday appeared before the Isleworth Crown Court in West London via video link for a preliminary hearing after she was remanded in custody for attempting to smuggle 12.5 kilograms of cocaine into the UK. She pleaded guilty and the case has been adjourned to January 5, 2015.
Addressing the media after the preliminary hearing, the Prosecutor narrated that on November 10, Nayele was stopped by a Customs Officer and UK boarder officials while coming into London Heathrow Airport tunnel five from Ghana on flight BA 708.
During a brief interrogation, she confirmed that she was on a business trip and was going shopping as well.
“She told the officer that she was born in Ghana, lived in Austria but now lives in Ghana,” he added.
Prosecutor Ravinder John disclosed that the suspect had in her possession, two bags; an orange handbag and a small trolley bag “and when the customs officer checked and UK boarder officials also checked after she said she had nothing to declare, they found two wrapped packages in her handbag and a further 10 packages in the small trolley bag; 12 packages in all.”
She was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
The court is currently waiting for the forensic analysis of the cocaine to determine exactly how much she smuggled into the UK and the street evaluation before they go to sentencing.
“If it is confirmed that the amount is in excess of 10 kilograms, in my experience, she is looking at a sentence of 10 to 15 years,” he said.
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