South African ‘loses bag’ with €150k of cannabis

A SOUTH AFRICAN dementia suffer lost a bag containing €150,000 worth of cannabis in the airport, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Valerie Haape, aged 61, was flying to Dublin from Johannesburg, but somehow her bag arrived before her and was found unattended in the airport by customs officals. They became suspicious and noted Haape’s name on the bag label before finding her waiting at the baggage claim.

They took her into a office and she thanked them for finding her bag. She claimed her daughter had helped her pack it. Customs officals X-rayed it and discoverd a large package containing about 17 kilograms of cannabis herb.