Zimbabwean Beautician Sentenced To 22 Years In India For Smuggling Heroin
Sharon Chigwaza, a 33-year-old Zimbabwean beautician, was sentenced to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment in India on Wednesday under two sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
As reported by onmanorama, Chigwaza was arrested at Kochi airport in June 2021 after being caught with 2,910 grams of heroin.
Ernakulam Additional Sessions Judge VPM Sureshbabu also imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh for each of the two charges under Section 21(c) and Section 23(c) of the NDPS Act, relating to the carrying and smuggling of the narcotic drug into India.
If the fine is not paid, she will face an additional six months in prison for each charge.
Chigwaza claimed she was merely a carrier who agreed to smuggle the drugs in exchange for money to fund her treatment in Delhi.
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However, the court did not consider her reasons for committing the crime, according to Special Public Prosecutor for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Adv Sunil J.
He said five grams of heroin is a small quantity, and 250 gm is a commercial quantity, adding that “Chigwaza was caught with nearly 12 times the commercial quantity”.
Under Indian law, the minimum punishment for carrying and smuggling commercial quantities of heroin is 10 years, with a maximum of 20 years.
The court took into account her poor background and gender, sentencing her to 11 years for each offence. Said Adv Sunil:
The sentences will run concurrently, so she will serve only 11 years in prison.
According to her statement to investigators, Chigwaza had been living as a refugee in South Africa with her parents and two sisters.
However, officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) determined that her refugee certificate was fraudulent.
On June 19, 2021, Chigwaza arrived at Kochi airport from Johannesburg via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.
While preparing to board an onward IndiGo flight to Delhi, airport security became suspicious and detained her.
They discovered 2,910 grams of heroin hidden in a secret pocket of her trolley bag. She was subsequently arrested, and the case was transferred to the NCB.
During questioning, Chigwaza claimed that she had experienced multiple miscarriages and needed money for treatment in Delhi.
She further claimed that a Nigerian friend, Ifeanyi, had offered her US$2,000 (approximately ₹1.47 lakh in June 2021) to deliver the drugs to a lodge in Delhi.
He assured her that his brother would pick up the package and provide her with the money. This was her first trip to India.
Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Sunil said the court’s sentencing underscored the message that “regardless of nationality or circumstances, drug trafficking is a crime against the nation and will be punished.”
The court also said that the three years and seven months Chigwaza spent in prison before her conviction would be deducted from her sentence.
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