Seven years for South African woman who imported cocaine to pay for daughter's medical treatment

A South African woman who claimed she agreed to import €84,000 worth of cocaine to pay for medical treatment for her infant daughter has been given a seven-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Blanca Butzer (aged 22) of Bond Road, Durbanville, Cape Town was caught coming through customs at Dublin Airport with a kilogram of cocaine in her hand luggage. She pleaded guilty to possession of drugs for sale or supply on July 4, 2008.

Judge O’Donnell said he had seen several similar cases recently and said there seems to be a message in South Africa that "it’s no big deal" to bring drugs to Ireland.

He had previously noted: "The drugs industry is now the greatest evil we have in this community."

Judge O’Donnell imposed a seven-year sentence and suspended the final two years on condition she is deported on her release and does not return to the country for 10 years.

Garda Keith Taylor told prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean Gillane BL, that Butzer claimed that when she was trying to get medical treatment for her daughter in Cape Town she was approached by a Nigerian man who offered to pay her 35,000 Rand (€2998) to import a quantity of cash into Ireland.

She said this would be enough to pay her daughter’s medical bills for 10 years. She claimed she was told there was no drugs involved and was "shocked" when customs officials found drugs instead of money in the bag.

She initially told gardaí she was visiting her brother in London and was stopping off in Dublin for a few days. She later admitted she was to received a phone call and hand over the cocaine to someone in Dublin.

Gda Taylor agreed with defence counsel, Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, that Butzer was "ashamed and sorry" and had been "100% co-operative with gardaí".

Mr Hartnett handed in documents showing her child suffered from a respiratory tract infection. Judge O’Donnell commented that this did not appear to be a life-threatening illness.

Documents showing the Open University degree in social care which Butzer had completed in custody were also handed in.