Overview

• A special court on August 1 convicted 30-year-old Mapoma Joseph Lemao under the NDPS Act for trafficking 3.98 kg of heroin and sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment with a ₹1.5 lakh fine.
• NCB officers acted on an April 12, 2022 tip-off at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and found heroin concealed in two plastic packets inside a modified red trolley bag.
• Lemao’s defense argued the bag passed clearances in Johannesburg and Addis Ababa and may have been planted, but mandatory baggage tags convinced the court of his ownership.
• The court dismissed claims of procedural lapses in the search, seizure and drug-analysis process, affirming the legality of each investigative step under the NDPS Act.
• Co-accused Ramadhani Musa was acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence to prove his role in receiving the drug consignment.