NURSES CAUGHT WITH CASE OF DRUGS ARE JAILED

Two nurses from South Africa were each jailed for 30 months yesterday
after being convicted of smuggling large amounts of cannabis into Scotland.

Earlier this week, two other women had flown from Johannesburg to
Edinburgh with drugs in their suitcases had been given six-month sentences.

Between the four of them, a court heard, they had been carrying
cannabis with a street value of up to UKP280,000.

A Customs and Excise spokesman said: "We believe this goes back to a
Nigerian outfit based in South Africa who target single females who
need money."

The nurses, Nonkanyiso Gxabu, 33, and Alicia Hlakula, 36, who each
have two children, had denied being knowingly involved in importing
cannabis at Edinburgh Airport. The High Court in Edinburgh was told
that Gxabu was stopped by customs officials on 2 January. She had
slabs of gift-wrapped cannabis, weighing almost 20 kilos and worth up
to UKP100,000, in her case.

She claimed a man who knew she was looking for nursing jobs abroad had
bought her plane ticket and had asked her to deliver Christmas
presents to a friend.

However, the jury, on a unanimous verdict, found Gxabu guilty of the
smuggling charge. Hlakula was caught on 28 December last year with
cannabis with a street value of around UKP50,000 - enough to roll
58,000 joints, the court heard.

She said she had thought she was carrying traditional clothes and
curios for a Nigerian-born businessman she had met in church. He had
provided her with the suitcase. "I was wondering why it was so heavy,"
Hlakula added.

She, too, was convicted by a unanimous verdict. "She has not had an
easy time (on remand) in Cornton Vale prison, she advises me,
basically because of her colour," said the defence counsel, Celia Sanderson.

On Monday, two co-accused, Cecilia Sondezi, 33, a handicraft worker,
and Lungile Shange, 21, a student, each pleaded guilty to smuggling
about ukp65,000 of cannabis, on 23 December last year and 14 January
this year respectively.

Each had co-operated with the authorities, it was said, and Lord
Johnston backdated six-month sentences to the time of their arrests,
allowing immigration officials to make immediate arrangements for
their deportation.

Yesterday, Lord Johnston told the nurses he had noted the quantity and
value of the cannabis and said exemplary sentences were needed "even
if you were duped by other, more powerful people".