Heroin-swallower jailed

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 4

Heroin-swallower jailed

PA Auckland A man who imported heroin with a street value of about $40,000 by putting it in 10 condoms and swallowing them has been sentenced to seven years jail in the High Court at Auckland. Allan William Thomas Hughes, aged 32, a screen printer, of Dunedin, had pleaded guilty in the District Court to importing a Class A controlled drug. Mr Justice Pritchard said Hughes was a heroin addict, as was often the case. “You are one of the victims of the very trade that you are engaged in — a filthv traffic in human mis-

ery that is rightly called the scourge of our civilisation,’ he said. . £ ’ ■ Hughes was caught bringing into the country 53 grams of 20 per cent pure heroin with a street value said to be about. $40,000. His Honour said Hughes had previously made four trips to countries known to be heroin sources. The defence counsel, Mr Anand Satyanand, said Hughes had considerable

potential, but appeared to have self-destructed as far as this, episode, was concerned. He asked his Honour to consider providing Hughes with some hope that he could return to the community after his release, and realise, the potential in his background. / The Crown prosecutor, Mr P. J. Kaye, said the Crown contended that Hughes was impbrtihg the, heroin for other people, j