Nigerian sentenced to life in Cambodia for drug trafficking

isaac dachen

May 9, 2017 2:08 PM

A Nigerian drug trafficker has been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Cambodia.

Chukwuemeka Ibe and his partner in crime

A 35-year-old Nigerian identified as

Cambodia Online reports that Ibe was arrested alongside a 40-year-old Romanian, Adrian-Calin Varadi, when they smuggled drugs into the country from Brazil.

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The Romanian was reportedly arrested on August 14, 2016, when he arrived the Phnom Penh International Airport from Brazil with 4.96 kg of cocaine hidden in his luggage and during interrogation, he said the drugs were to be delivered to Ibe who was later arrested in a hotel he was waiting for the consignment.

During investigations, it was understood that Ibe was to receive the drugs for onward transmission to some barons in neighbouring Thailand.

When the suspects were arraigned before a Cambodian court on Tuesday, May 8, 2017, they were found guilty of the offence and were duly sentenced to life in prison.

The suspects were charged with illegally transporting the drugs under the country's drug Law, a verdict read by Phnom Penh Municipal Court's Presiding Judge, Im Vannak, stated.

"The court decides to sentence each of them to life in prison and to fine them 40 million riel (10,000 U.S. dollars) each," Judge Vannak said.

ALSO READ: "Everywhere We Go: Nigerian drug baron gets 27 years in Cambodia"

During a trial last month, Varadi had allegedly confessed to the crime but Ibe denied the charge, claiming that he did not know the package he supposed to receive was carrying drugs.

isaac dachen