TOGO TWO GET 38 YEARS FOR DRUG SMUGGLING

2 Jul 2003 06:15 PM

Two Togo nationals were today sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court to 38 years imprisonment having been found guilty of attempting to smuggle over 30 kilos of cocaine with a value of over £1.8m into the UK.

Customs spokesperson, Shona Lowe said " we are delighted to have prevented this amount of cocaine from reaching the streets of the UK. The severity of the sentences shows how seriously both Customs and the Courts take this sort of criminal activity. The length of sentence should act as a deterrent to those who think drug smuggling is an easy way to make money."

On 26th January 2003 Ms Adjoavi Enyonam Josiane Amega (19) a clothes shop owner of Lome, Togo and Mr Amelifo Bossed Ekoh (20) a businessman of Lome, Togo arrived at Heathrow Airport on a flight from Paris. They were travelling with another man.

All three had similar plastic containers in their luggage and the cocaine was hidden in each of them.

In interview, Amega stated that she had been asked by Ekoh to bring a container of foodstuffs to the UK as the containers were too heavy for his baggage allowance. She was not aware that they were filled with cocaine.

However, in court she claimed to have been set up by her cousin and his friend who gave her and Ekoh the containers at the airport.

Ekoh claimed he had been asked to transport the foodstuffs by Amega's cousin although he had not mentioned this in his interview. It was put to him that he was changing his story to assist Amega's defence. Although, he had said in interview that Amega had come to his house to collect the container he said he had actually meant her cousin had come to collect it on her behalf.

The second man claimed not to know what was in the container in his luggage. Ekoh admitted that whilst in Paris he made hotel reservations in London for all three adults.

All three stood trial at Isleworth Crown Court where they pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempting to import the cocaine into the UK.

On 1st July 2003, both Amega and Ekoh were found guilty. The second man was found not guilty.

On 2nd July Amega was sentenced to 18 years and to be deported at the end of her sentence.

Ekoh was sentenced to 20 years with a recommendation that he be deported at the end of his prison sentence.

Notes for editors

1. Cocaine is a class A drug

2. The penalty for the importation of a class A drug is a fine of any amount or life imprisonment or both

Issued by HM Customs and Excise Communications Division

Anyone with information about illegally imported drugs, tobacco or alcohol or about VAT fraud can speak to a Customs officer in complete confidence. Call Customs Confidential 24 hours a day on 0800 59 5000 www.hmce.gov.uk