Benin’s Court of Economic Crimes and Terrorism Repression (CRIET) has sentenced a woman to ten years in prison after she was arrested in July 2021 in possession of 5.3 kg of cocaine, local media “24h Au Benin” reports.
The woman is also fined to pay $16,000 to the court. The defense told the tribunal the woman did not know she was carrying the drug. It requested mercy.
The ruling came few days after same Court in capital Cotonou condemned a Dutch to 15 years in prison for possession and sale of “high risk” drug and a fine of $16,000. The Dutch expat has reportedly been in custody since his arrest on February 17 this year, at Cotonou international airport.
The Institute for Security Studies in Africa in 2021 reported that Benin was increasingly becoming a hotspot in the global drug trafficking network. By June that year, the country’s share of the illicit trade amounted to 1.3 tons. The illicit drugs originate from Latin America and the Middle East.