Two persons, including an Ivory Coast national, were sent to 10 years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs one lakh each for carrying drugs by a Delhi court, which also observed that while the drug dealers went scot-free it was only the conduits, who are invariably poor, get caught.
Special (NDPS) Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar awarded the sentence to Ludhiana-resident Rohit Goel and Ivory Coast- resident Kouassi Nguessan Williams for possessing and transporting around 15 kgs of heroin.
"It is generally noticed that in such cases where drugs are supplied to consumers, the main drug peddlers go scott free and the conduit used by such peddlers, who are invariably poor people, get caught," the court said.
It noted that both the convicts were carriers, who became part and parcel of the conspiracy to deal in supply and transportation of narcotic and psychotropic substances.
Both Goel and Williams had prayed for leniency after being held guilty by the court, saying they were poor and had no previous criminal record.
The court had held them guilty under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, saying they have been a part of a conspiracy to deal in the transportation and supply of Heroin.
According to the prosecution, on a tip-off on September 8, 2007, a team of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) officials had apprehended the two accused when they were trying to transfer the drugs in polythene bags from one car to another. On checking, the officials recovered 15 bags containing 15.271 kgs of heroin.
In its verdict, the court said the circumstances showed it was a well-planned transaction for transfer of the contraband.
During trial, both the accused had claimed that they were falsely implicated in the case. Besides them, one Dilbag Singh, who was driving the car of Williams, was also made an accused by the DRI but he was discharged by the High Court.
