Cocaine smuggling: Brazilian woman sentenced to 8 years in Seychelles prison

Palais de Justice which houses the Supreme Court. (Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Supreme Court of Seychelles on Friday sentenced a female Brazilian national to eight years in prison for the importation of cocaine.

According to the court report, Amanda Ravara Dos Anjos, 32, was convicted on her own plea of guilt for the importation of a controlled drug contrary to Section 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 2016.

Dos Anjos was arrested after her arrival in Seychelles onboard an Emirates Airlines flight with a total cocaine content of 3118.09 grammes and having a total net weight of white substance amounting to 4133.70 grammes in two cartons packets.

Her lawyer, Joshua Revera, in his mitigation, said that the accused pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the charge, demonstrating her genuine remorse in the commission of the offence of the importation of the controlled drug. He asked the Court to give full credit for her guilty plea.

Revera further submitted that it is clear from the admitted facts produced by the prosecution and the probation report that Amanda Dos Anjos was taken advantage of and used as a drug mule for the benefit of others.

When passing the sentence, Justice Burhan said that it is the view of the Court that the pure quantity concerned is large.

"Had she not been timely arrested at the airport when she brought the controlled drug into the country and had this quantity of controlled drug hit the streets, the detrimental effect on the population, especially the younger generation would have been severe," he said.

Burhan added that "giving due consideration to the seriousness of the offence and the facts set out in mitigation by Learned Counsel the fact that suitable deterrent punishment must be given to prevent the repetition of such offences, I proceed to sentence the accused Amanda Ravara Dos Anjos to a term of eight years imprisonment."

Burhan said that "considering the large quantity imported, this Court is of the view that it was clearly not for her personal consumption but for more sinister purposes of a commercial nature/trafficking. I am satisfied therefore that aggravating circumstances exist and therefore the accused is not entitled to remission."

The Brazilian national has the right to appeal against the sentence.