Iraqi drug smuggler jailed for five years

[~lostgurl~]

A new entry has been added to Drugs Archive

Description:

2 mins
TV3 News (NZ)
22 Aug 2007

An Iraqi refugee has been jailed for five years after a jury refused to believe he smuggled drugs to save his sister's life.

Mazin Jaburi claimed his sister had been kidnapped and would be shot unless he carried more than two thousand ecstasy pills into New Zealand.

Mazin Jaburi was stopped by customs at Auckland airport with an estimated two hundred thousand dollars worth of ecstasy strapped to his body.

He claimed his sister had been kidnapped in Baghdad.

He told TV3's 60 minutes programme her captors ordered him to smuggle the drugs.

It is a story the police didn't believe.

The 35-year-old was arrested and says his sister was shot dead.

But the jury didn't believe him either and found him guilty of importing ecstasy, possession and supply.

What they did not see, because New Zealand police could not verify them, was an official death certificate, a letter from Iraqi police about the kidnap and murder, and photos of his sister's grave.

The police say Jaburi's story was made up and want to know why he flew into New Zealand six times in a year and how he paid for the flights.

The defence tried to argue that Jaburi's sentence should be reduced because he had been under pressure to smuggle the drugs.

But the judge refused to accept this, saying the jury had already rejected the story about his sister's kidnapping.

However, she made an allowance because he had no previous convictions and co-operated with the police.

Jaburi has not yet decided whether he'll appeal the sentence.

To check it out, rate it or add comments, visit
Iraqi drug smuggler jailed for five years
The comments you make there will appear in the posts below.