Japanese Court Upholds Six-Year Sentence for Australian Drug Mule
An Australian woman, Donna Nelson, was sentenced to six years in prison by a Japanese court for smuggling drugs. She claimed she was deceived by a man she intended to marry into carrying amphetamines. Despite her defense of being a romance scam victim, her appeal was dismissed.
- Country:
- Japan
The Tokyo High Court has upheld a six-year prison sentence for Australian national Donna Nelson, dismissing her appeal in a high-profile drug smuggling case. Nelson, 59, was found with two kilograms of amphetamines at Narita International Airport.
Nelson claimed innocence, asserting that she was deceived by a man she met online, whom she believed to be a potential spouse. He allegedly tricked her into transporting the drugs. Her defense argued she was a victim of a romance scam, unaware of the illicit contents of her luggage.
Judge Takeshi Irie determined that Nelson had the capacity to discern the suspicious nature of her task before she was arrested. The court's decision has left her family, particularly her daughter Kristal Hilaire, distressed but with the possibility of an appeal within 14 days.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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