Skip to main content

Johanne Axelexen Vinther Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison In Cambodia

Johanne Axelexen Vinther, 45, was arrested at a post office in the capital Phnom Penh last year as she tried to send 10,761 tablets containing codeine in packages to the U.S. and Canada.The drugs can be easily bought at street-side pharmacies throughout Phnom Penh, but are restricted in most Western countries.Chhay Kong, a judge at Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said Vinther was guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced her to 15 years in jail.The judge also ordered Vinther to pay a fine of $7,500.Chhay Kong also sentenced a 28-year-old son of Vinther in absentia to 15 years behind bars and ordered him to pay a fine of the same amount.Vinther denied she smuggled the drug, calling the verdict against her and her son "unjust."
"I did not commit any crimes. They (judges) don't even know what codeine is. They compare it to heroin. It was never heroin. It is not a hard drug," she said after the court hearing."It is something for the pain - painkillers."Vinther said she would appeal against the verdict within a month and would even seek a "royal pardon" from Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni.Impoverished Cambodia is becoming an increasingly popular trafficking point for methamphetamines and heroin, particularly since neighboring Thailand toughened its stance against illegal drugs in 2002.However, arrests for violations involving pharmaceuticals are much less common.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Elmira Police arrested 21-year old Brittany Nelson of Southport, Michael Harper,Jamal Brock, Robert Christian

Month-long investigation leads to a major drug bust in the Town of Southport.Police seized 500 grams of cocaine, estimated to value about $40,000.Elmira Police arrested 21-year old Brittany Nelson of Southport, 22-year old Michael Harper, 28-year old Jamal Brock, and 26-year old Robert Christian all of Elmira.Harper and Nelson were arraigned and sent to the Chemung County Jail without bail. Brock and Christian are in the Elmira City Lock Up waiting to be arraigned.

Mohammed Yousaf,Ansar Iqbal, sentenced to eight years each

Mohammed Yousaf, of Normandy Road, Perry Barr, Ansar Iqbal, of Selston Road, Aston were sentenced to eight years each while Shaied Iqbal, of Drummond Road, Aston, was imprisoned for six and a half years.It is reported that detectives from Staffordshire Police’s Major Crime Unit worked with colleagues from the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Bedfordshire forces for 10 months to break the ring. Over pounds weight of drugs were seized, as part of Staffordshire’s Operation Nemesis, including heroin with a street value of £4 million, 1.5 kilos of amphetamine and an amount of cocaine.

Major role players in the West Rand bouncer and drugs industry

Piet Byleveld's team has made yet another breakthrough in bringing down Johannesburg's bouncer industry. Officers arrested two brothers they claim are major role players in the West Rand bouncer and drugs industry yesterday.Byleveld’s team yesterday arrested brothers Jacques and Deon Willemse on charges of armed robbery near Sophiatown. It's understood the duo had stolen a car from a 27-year-old woman and assaulted both her and her 52-year-old mother. Byleveld has previously arrested another brother of the two men, Gillie Willemse, on drugs related charges. The crack detective says he believes the three bouncers are role-players in the West Rand drugs industry and are connected to a major organised crime boss arrested earlier this week. Theuns Grobelaar, a founder of the notorious Elite bouncer group, will appear in court today on several charges.