From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Thu Jan 14 2010 - 12:12:19 EST
Stewardess jailed for cannabis smuggling
Jan 14 2010 By Jack Griffith
An air stewardess who attempted to smuggle almost £30,000 worth of cannabis
into the UK has been sentenced.
21-year-old Helina Teferi, a stewardess for Ethiopian Airlines, was
sentenced to three years in prison after being stopped by Border Agency
officers at Heathrow on a flight from Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on
October 12.
Her baggage was searched and around 10.5kg of cannabis was found, concealed
beneath a false bottom in the suitcase.
Teferi admitted to the charges and was sentenced to three years in prison at
Isleworth Crown Court on last Thursday (January 7).
Peter Avery, Assistant Director at the UK Border Agency’s Criminal and
Financial Investigations directorate said: “Crew members are subject to the
same checks as anyone else entering the UK.
“In this case, Teferi would’ve been aware of the rules regarding controlled
drugs, but yet she still attempted to exploit her position. This was
reflected in the severity of her sentence.
“This latest success highlights our commitment to prevent drugs from
reaching the UK’s streets.”
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