Zimbabwean Beautician Sentenced to 22 Years in India for Heroin Smuggling
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Sharon Chigwaza, a 33-year-old Zimbabwean beautician, has been sentenced to 22 years of rigorous imprisonment in India under two sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
According to reports from onmanorama, Chigwaza was apprehended at Kochi airport in June 2021 with 2,910 grams of heroin.
Ernakulam Additional Sessions Judge VPM Sureshbabu imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh for each of the two charges under Section 21(c) and Section 23(c) of the NDPS Act, which relate to the possession and smuggling of narcotic drugs into India. Failure to pay the fine would result in an additional six months of imprisonment for each charge.
Chigwaza asserted that she was merely a carrier, agreeing to transport the drugs in exchange for money to fund her medical treatment in Delhi. However, the court did not consider her reasons for committing the crime, as explained by Special Public Prosecutor for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Adv Sunil J.
Adv Sunil highlighted, “Five grams of heroin is a small quantity, and 250 grams is considered a commercial quantity. Chigwaza was caught with nearly 12 times the commercial quantity.”
Under Indian law, the minimum punishment for carrying and smuggling commercial quantities of heroin is 10 years, with a maximum of 20 years. Taking into account her disadvantaged background and gender, the court sentenced her to 11 years for each offence, which will run concurrently, meaning she will serve 11 years in prison.
Chigwaza told investigators that she had been living as a refugee in South Africa with her parents and two sisters. However, NCB officials determined that her refugee certificate was fraudulent.
On 19 June 2021, Chigwaza arrived at Kochi airport from Johannesburg via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight. While preparing to board an onward IndiGo flight to Delhi, airport security became suspicious and detained her. They discovered 2,910 grams of heroin concealed in a hidden pocket of her trolley bag. She was subsequently arrested, and the case was transferred to the NCB.
During questioning, Chigwaza claimed she had experienced multiple miscarriages and needed money for treatment in Delhi. She alleged that a Nigerian friend, Ifeanyi, had offered her US$2,000 (approximately ₹1.47 lakh in June 2021) to deliver the drugs to a lodge in Delhi. Ifeanyi assured her that his brother would collect the package and provide her with the money. This was her first trip to India.
Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Sunil stated that the court’s sentencing emphasised that “regardless of nationality or circumstances, drug trafficking is a crime against the nation and will be punished.”
The court also ruled that the three years and seven months Chigwaza spent in prison before her conviction would be deducted from her sentence.
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