TAMPA CANCER PATIENT CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 30 (UPI) - Australian authorities say a Tampa man
has been jailed on charges that he attempted to smuggle eight pounds
of cocaine through the Sydney airport so he could earn the money to
pay for cancer treatment.

53-year-old Herbert Edward Mazzola was taken off a Qantas flight in a
wheelchair late Monday night after arriving from Los Angeles.

Officials say under questioning, Mazzola admitted having four packages
of cocaine strapped to his buttocks and lower legs.

In Tampa, Mazzola's wife said her husband's life has been dominated by
his illness in recent months - cutting him off from friends and
leaving him on the couch in pain.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry