Mozambique: 85-year-old American sentenced to 16 years for drug trafficking – Carta

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Mozambique: 85-year-old American sentenced to 16 years for drug trafficking – Carta

3:01 CAT | 04 Dec 2019

in CoM

William Vito, an 85-year-old American, was detained on 27 May this year at Maputo International Airport, in possession of 3kg of cocaine and 2kg of heroin, while waiting to fly to France, ‘Carta de Moçambique’ reports.

He was detained while awaiting his trial, which took place on 28 November at the 7th Criminal Chamber of the Maputo City Court. During his trial, Vito – who was in a “worrisome” state of health – swore time and again that the contents of his suitcase did not belong to him nor did he know how they got there.

The judge dismissed the defendant’s argument and sentenced him to 16 years in prison. After serving his sentence, Vito is to be expelled from the country immediately.

Meanwhile, sources well-placed in the Southern African-based international investigation into cross-border drug trafficking have confided to the ‘Carta’ that the elderly man in question had allegedly been ‘framed’ by the Nigerians who control drug trafficking in Mozambique and other countries on the continent.

According to the ‘Carta’ sources, William Vito is just one more victim of this network, which enjoys the protection of agents at national airports and facilitates the circulation of quantities of varied drugs.

The fact is that if Vito, who is 85, can stand 16 years in prison, will leave jail at 101 years of age, a situation which worries some of his countrymen due to the precariousness of their health.

Only this year, Mozambique entered upon the global stage as a favoured corridor for international drug traffickers carrying heroin from Afghanistan and other Asian countries through our ports and airports in great quantities en route to various countries in Africa, Europe and America.

In 2019, Canadian, British, Brazilian, Portuguese, Tanzanian, Malawian, North American, Somali nationals were arrested at the Maputo International Airport and other land and sea borders, many of whom are awaiting trial in custody.

Also this year, Mozambique acceded to a US request for the extradition of Pakistani citizen Tanveer Ahmed Allah, accused by a Texas court of being a drug baron. According to ‘Carta’ sources, Tanveer has only recently abandoned his intended appeal to the High Court of Appeals.

ALSO READ: Mozambique nabs 86-year old US drug trafficking suspect

Source: Carta de Moçambique