Lahore court sentences Czech woman to over 8 years in prison for smuggling heroin

LAHORE: A sessions court in Lahore on Wednesday sentenced Czech national Tereza Hluskova to eight years and eight months in prison and fined Rs 113,000 after she was found carrying eight and a half kilogrammes of heroin last year from Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport.

Hluskova was arrested while attempting to smuggle the heroin from Lahore to Abu Dhabi while she was in Pakistan on a three-month family visit visa.

Customs officials refused to hand over Hluskova to Anti-Narcotics Force officials and she has been shifted to the Customs House.

The court had reserved its verdict in the case on March 12. 

During the hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Shehzad Raza handed an eight year and eight months prison term to Hluskova while pronouncing her guilty. 

The hearing was attended by the deputy secretary of the Czech embassy. 

The court in its verdict said the prosecution was successful in confirming Hluskova was guilty of smuggling heroin and that she could not prove her innocence. 

The court further said she had the right to appeal her sentence. 

The court acquitted co-accused Shoaib on the grounds of not enough evidence against him.