Accra, June 14, GNA - An Accra Regional Tribunal (High Court) on Tuesday sentenced a Nigerian trader to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour for possessing 85 pellets of heroin. Ruth Nwansa, 41, a trader from Benin City in Nigeria, was charged with possession of narcotic drugs without lawful authority.

Mrs. Barbara Sackey, Assistant State Attorney who prosecuted, had earlier told the tribunal chaired by Mr Justice Frank Manu that Nwasa was arrested on March 26, last year at the airport. She said Nwansa was arrested when security agents at the airport detected that she had in her possession 85 pellets of substance suspected to be narcotic drugs. When the substance was sent to the Food and Drugs Board for examination it tested positive for heroin.