23 year old Precious Chineme Nwoko (pictured above) has been sentenced to 27 years imprisonment by a Cambodian Court for trafficking heroine in Cambodia.
The police say the suspects are three nigerian men, two of whom are on the run, named Mr. Anto and Mr. Ashita. Including two other women.
Police sources say Nwoko was a ringleader in a heroin smuggling cartel in Cambodia. He was arrested last month for handing a backpack containing 2.2 kilos (4.8 pounds) of heroin to two women, 41year old Australian Yoshe Ann Taylor and 19 year old French Charlene Savarino, for onward transportation to an unidentified man in Australia. Both women were however caught and arrested.
At their trial last month, it was discovered that 19 year old Savarino was Nwoko’s girlfriend and they worked closely in smuggling heroin. 41 year old Taylor had also previously helped to smuggle heroin using the backpack.
Judge Kor Vandy at Phnom Penh Municipal Court who presided over their case today said Nwoko and the two women were guilty of ‘cross-border smuggling of illegal drugs and thereafter sentenced Nwoko’s 19year old girlfriend Savarino to 25 years in jail, while 41 year old Taylor was handed 23 years. They all denied the drug belonged to them.
Outside the court Wednesday, Heng Pheng, a lawyer for Mr. Nwoko, avowed his client’s innocence and said the bag of heroin had actually belonged to Mr. Anto and Mr. Ashita.
“This is an unacceptable conviction, because the court did not find the drugs with my client, Mr. Precious Chineme,” Mr. Pheng said.
“Police arrested my client in his rental [house] in Chamkar Mon district, but they did not find drugs with him.”
He said Mr. Nwoko would appeal the sentence.
