By JohnMac
Authoritative reports say that a Cairo court has sentenced to life in prison, a Ukrainian woman arrested at the Cairo airport with a bag of cocaine, and a judicial source confirmed this on Sunday.
Accordingly, Liudmyla Balakina, who lives in the Netherlands, had been convicted of drug smuggling following her arrest in April upon arrival from Qatar with “four kilograms (about nine pounds) of cocaine” in her luggage, another source told reporters.
The Ukrainian was also handed a fine of 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,683), but can still appeal the verdict.
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The convicted woman, Balakina, had confessed in court to “meeting an Egyptian abroad, who took advantage of her need for money,” news media reported.
She said the Egyptian “paid her $2,500 to enter the country” with the drugs. In 2019, Egypt had increased punishment for drug smugglers to include the death penalty. And in this regard, eight foreigners were sentenced to death last year for smuggling more than two tons of heroin via the Red Sea.
