Brazilian national jailed 30 years in Tanzania over drug trafficking

Moshi. A Brazilian, Joao Candido De Oliveira, 62, will spend 30 years in jail in Tanzania after the High Court in Moshi, Kilimanjaro Region found him guilty of possessing illicit drugs.

The verdict was issued yesterday after High Court Judge Elinaza Luvanda said the evidence tendered in court by the prosecution left no doubt that the accused was guilty of the offence.

 In his testimony, De Oliveira who was a trader of ice cubes in the city of Sao Paul said he met with unknown people by chance at the city’s airport who convinced him to transport the bag of cocaine to Kilimanjaro Region with a promise of $7,800 as payment.

 However, it was not a trip of hope as he had been promised because immediately after he arrived at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) on October 3, 2018 at 8pm, he was arrest- ed by security officials.

He was then ordered to open his bag and was found with 5.8 kilogrammes of cocaine. “The amount is worth Brazilian reals 42 million that could have fetched me a house, I told my wife who then asked me to turn down the offer. But the amount was so huge I could hardly resist it.  I was just living in a bamboo house,” the Judge read part of the accused’s testimony.

 According to Judge Luvanda, the explanation of his first testimony that the lock on his bag was broken was dismissed.

And that testimonies by the second prosecution witness, Police Inspector Venance Mdewe, the third witness, Jeremiah Sarungi, together with the fourth wit- ness, Salim Mwaliza, were enough to find the accused guilty.

 De Oliveira further explained how the ‘unknown persons’ bought him a ticket from Brazil to Kilimanjaro International Airport, and gave him $304 as transport allowance.

Apart from the 30-year jail term, the judge ordered  the Sh50,000 found on him be  confiscated.