Cocaine courier jailed for 10 years and fined €35,000

A Liberian drug courier who swallowed almost 800 grammes of cocaine capsules in attempt to bring them to Malta was yesterday jailed for 10 years and fined €35,000.

Benedict Nyumah, 34, arrived on a flight from London on March 15, 2007 and was stopped by police and Customs officers after they noticed him acting strangely.

He was pulled to one side and after a thorough search, including an x-ray, he admitted to having swallowed 68 capsules containing cocaine worth €55,260 before catching the flight to Malta. The drugs were 66 per cent pure.

He was meant to stand trial by jury yesterday but, having admitted to all the charges as soon as he was served with the indictment, he was sentenced yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic, to importing and to being in possession of the drugs.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono took into consideration the fact that Mr Nyumah admitted at an "early" stage, that he has a clean police record and that he helped the police in their investigations. However, the judge said the large amount of drugs and its purity made the case a very serious one.

The €35,000 fine will converted into 18 months imprisonment should it not be paid.

Lawyer Lara Lanfranco from the Attorney General's Office prosecuted.

Lawyer Roberto Montalto appeared for Mr Nyumah.