WILLEMSTAD – A 52-year-old man from Curaçao has been sentenced to prison for smuggling cocaine through the airport, following his arrest during a baggage inspection for a flight to the Netherlands.
The court imposed a sentence of 24 months, of which 8 months are conditional, with a probation period of three years.
The man was apprehended after customs officials identified a suspicious suitcase that appeared unusually heavy. Upon inspection, officers discovered two packages containing a total of 1,658 grams of cocaine.
During the trial, the defendant claimed that he had fallen into serious financial difficulties due to addiction to cocaine and gambling. He stated that he had lost his family, home, and personal belongings, and that he was approached in a casino by an individual who later asked him to transport the suitcase in exchange for money.
The Public Prosecution Service dismissed this explanation as unconvincing, noting that the suspect was unable to provide clear or verifiable information about the individual who allegedly recruited him.
The court ultimately found the smuggling charge proven and imposed the sentence accordingly, emphasizing the seriousness of drug trafficking through the island’s airport.