Drug Smuggler Gets Suspended Sentence: Prosecutors Dissatisfied
![sign at taiwan airport waning that trafficking drugs carries a death sentence](https://i0.wp.com/taiwanenglishnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/CKS_Airport_drugs_sign.jpg?resize=800%2C445&ssl=1)
Picture: Wikipedia
A Pakistan citizen was handed a sentence of 2 years imprisonment, suspended for 4 years, after attempting to smuggle 4KG of amphetamine from Taiwan to Australia. Prosecutors said they will appeal the lenient sentence.
The 21 year-old man surnamed ‘Ba’ (rendered from Chinese), was caught at Taipei Taoyuan airport attempting to board a flight to Sydney, Australia, July 2016. Ba told the court that a man named ‘Ah Hao’ had offered him a free trip to Australia in exchange for carrying the drugs.
In handing down the sentence, the judge said the young man deserved sympathy. Prosecutors pointed out that smuggling amphetamines, a category 2 drug, according to Taiwan law, carried a mandatory sentence of 7 years to life, and that the judge was abusing the sympathy clause.
A sign at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport warns arriving travelers that drug trafficking is punishable by death in the R.O.C.
![amphetamines found in luggage](https://i0.wp.com/taiwanenglishnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/amphetamine.jpg?resize=656%2C719)
Taiwan English News is an independent publication with no corporate funding. If you found this article informative, and would like to support my work, please buy me a coffee or support me on Patreon. Subscribe to Taiwan English News for free to receive the latest news via email. Advertising queries are welcome. Share, like, comment below.