Drug smuggling State lad gets 35 years jail term
Source: The Sangai Express / Agencies

Mumbai, June 27 2013: A 28- year-old Delhi-based student was sentenced to 35 years' rigorous imprisonment for attempting to smuggle two kg of heroin out of the country through courier firms in Mumbai in 2009 .

On Thursday, special judge I M Bohari convicted Reuben Sungte under various sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

"Taking stock of the quantity (2-kg heroin) which that was attempted to be exported through Aramex and TNT (the two courier companies, I am of the view that more than the minimum sentence is indeed called for," special judge Bohari observed.

The judgment was pronounced on Thursday, World Drug Day.

Sungte, is a native of Imphal, Manipur, where he lived with his senior citizen parents and six-year-old sister.

In 2007, he arrived in Delhi to complete his education and find work.

During his stay, he came across two Nigerian nationals, Richard and Sam, through whom he allegedly started dealing in drugs.

According to the prosecution, the Narcotics Control Bureau received a call on December 7, 2009 from a courier firm alleging that a suspicious consignment was being booked to be sent abroad.

The officer directed the caller to keep the accused engaged till his team arrived there.

The NCB then caught Sungte and found a kg of heroin in the parcel he was about to send.

During questioning, he allegedly disclosed that earlier in the day he had booked a similar consignment though another courier company.

Investigators tracked the 1-kg consignment with the The NCB then went to the other company and found a similar packet with one kilo heroin.

A ticket found on Sungte showed that he had arrived from Delhi in the morning and was scheduled to return the same evening.

Sungte was arrested and has been in custody ever since.

The special court framed charges against him in October 2011.Sungte pleaded not guilty.

The NCB made several attempts to arrest Richard and Sam but were unsuccessful.

They have been declared absconding accused.

The prosecution alleged that Sungte had been involved in sending several such consignments from various cities in the country.

The prosecution examined eight witnesses, including investigating officer Prakash Anthony and a courier company employee and the panchas.

During the trial, the defence denied all allegations and said Sungte was being falsely implicated.

They argued that Sungte had been employed by Richard and Sam in their garment business.

He had been told to come to Mumbai at their behest and just accompanied Richard to the two places.

The defence also questioned why a person who had successfully booked the first consignment through one courier company went to a different one for the second parcel.

However, the court refuted the argument and convicted the accused.

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