Mr Laurence James Poots; Chan, assigned by DLA
HCCC 273/2013
IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE
HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
CRIMINAL CASE NO 273 OF 2013
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Transcript of the Audio Recording of the Sentence in the above Case
COURT: This is my sentence and my reasons for sentence. The defendant, a 49 year old Paraguay male, arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on 27 February of this year on a flight from Brazil. As he attempted to pass through the airport, Customs officers stopped and searched him, and found in his luggage packets containing 2.21 kilograms of cocaine. The packets were concealed in the lining of a briefcase, itself contained within the defendant’s suitcase.
The facts are straightforward. The defendant had knowingly acted as a “mule” or courier of the drugs into Hong Kong. Given the quantity of drug involved, I take a starting point of sentence of 24 years imprisonment. I enhance that by two years to reflect the international element involved in the trafficking. That results in an enhanced starting point of 26 years imprisonment. Apart from the defendant’s plea of guilty, there is no other substantial mitigation, and that enhanced starting point is reduced by one-third to a final sentence of 17 years 4 months imprisonment.
The facts are straightforward. The defendant had knowingly acted as a “mule” or courier of the drugs into Hong Kong.
Given the quantity of drug involved, I take a starting point of sentence of 24 years imprisonment. I enhance that by two years to reflect the international element involved in the trafficking. That results in an enhanced starting point of 26 years imprisonment.
Apart from the defendant’s plea of guilty, there is no other substantial mitigation, and that enhanced starting point is reduced by one-third to a final sentence of 17 years 4 months imprisonment.