Bruneian man apprehended earlier this year while trying to smuggle nearly a kilogramme of heroin into China has been sentenced to life imprisonment

Bruneian man apprehended earlier this year while trying to smuggle nearly a kilogramme of heroin into China has been sentenced to life imprisonment, according to a statement issued by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) yesterdayThe man, whose name the NCB did not disclose, was tried by the Second Intermediate People’s Court of Tianjin.He was detained by Chinese authorities at Binhai International Airport on June 23 after being caught with 995.72 grammes of heroin hidden in the lining of his suitcase. He had arrived from Kuala Lumpur aboard AirAsia flight D72612.The Bruneian is believed to have been enticed into smuggling the drugs by an African man who heads an international drug syndicate, said the NCB.The African man reportedly lures people into becoming “drug mules” by chatting online and sets up meetings in Malaysia between his “contact” and the potential mules.The statement also said that the Australian authorities are continuing their investigation following the arrest of a Bruneian in Sydney. However, the statement did not clarify whether the investigation was related to drugs or related to the arrest of a Brunei woman at Sydney International Airport earlier this year for allegedly smuggling heroin.
The life sentence handed down to the man in Tianjin follows a Brunei woman being sentenced to life imprisonment in June, also for smuggling heroin.The NCB urged all people to be wary of overly lucrative deals from unknown persons to work or travel abroad, with a special note for parents to ensure their children are not tricked into such arrangements.