WOMAN JAILED FOR IMPORTING CANNABIS FROM SA

A South African gang is using vulnerable young women to import cannabis for
a number of Nigerians living in Ireland, it has been claimed.

Garda Denise Hall told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court about the drugs ring
during the case of a South African woman who was jailed for 18 months for
importing IEP26,000 of cannabis through Dublin Airport.

She said the Nigerian customers here preferred smoking the cannabis plant to
cannabis resin.

Bernice Jacelyn Adam (22), Cape Town, South Africa, pleaded guilty to
importing the drugs on September 14th, 1998. She wept throughout the hearing.

The court heard that another woman, Fikelephi Promise Thusinini, was also
jailed for 18 months two weeks previously for importing IEP24,000 of
cannabis for some Nigerians living in Ireland. A third woman has
yet to come before the court for importing the drug in similar circumstances.

Garda Hall told prosecuting counsel Ms Una McGurk that customs found 16
packets of cannabis hidden behind a false lining in Adam's suitcase when
they stopped her after she arrived on a flight from South Africa.

Adam told gardai she met a man called Wally on a bus journey from Cape Town
to Johannesburg. He later besieged her with flowers, gifts and money until
she agreed to go out with him.

Sometime later he asked her to travel to Europe and she consented. She
admitted she knew her suitcase was unusually heavy but decided to continue
with the flight.

Garda Hall said there was a Nigerian national at the back of the plan to
import cannabis from South Africa and vulnerable young women were being used
as couriers.

Adam had been told by her boyfriend to meet a man called Victor when she
arrived in Dublin and he gave her a phone number written backwards on a
piece of paper.

Defence counsel Mr Patrick Marrinan said his client had not told her family
she is in custody and added that she was being subjected to racial abuse by
prisoners.

Judge Michael White said that it has been recognised by the courts that a
prison sentence is a heavier burden on foreign nationals than for Irish
people and the court acknowledged Adam's guilty plea. While he had sympathy
for Adam, the court had a greater responsibility to society.