Cocaine smuggler jailed for five years

A Nigerian national who arrived in Ireland with cocaine valued €315,000 has been jailed for five years by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Daniel Nwaozor (aged 26), with an address at 7th Avenue, Close House 28, Festac Town, in Nigeria, also four passports in his possession when he arrived at Dublin Airport on May 11, 2005 from Amsterdam.

Detective Garda Stephen Boyce told prosecuting counsel, Mr Remy Farrell BL, that Nwaozor had travelled from Lagos, Nigeria to Amsterdam and onto Dublin with 4.5 kilograms of cocaine.

A contact who was to give him further instructions about the cocaine phoned Nwaozor while he was in custody at the Airport but cut-off abruptly when the call was answered.

Nwaozor told Judge White, in a protracted commentary, that he was pressurised into doing the drugs-run by a man from whom he had borrowed a lot of money to try to gain a master’s degree in business administration and to pay his chronic alcohol debts.

He said his alcohol problem arose as a result of his father abandoning their family and leaving him to look after his mother and siblings. He had never had a happy childhood and felt "hopeless and abandoned" by his father after the family heard he had married another woman.

Nwaozor said he worked in reception in Cloverhill Prison and since going into prison had realised his mistakes. He appealed for "a second chance" to show he could contribute to society.

Judge White said the crime was "of extreme gravity". Nwaozor had been targeted by sinister individuals and the court had the benefit of "a very eloquent plea" from defence counsel, Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC (with Mr Bernard Condon BL) as well as many testimonials including one from Nwaozor's mother.

Judge White added that Nwaozor had no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty at the first instance, so that based on all the evidence before it, the court was of the opinion it would be unjust to impose the minimum 10 year sentence.