Man jailed for smuggling cocaine from Amsterdam

A man has been sentenced to nine months in prison for bringing more than half a kilogram of cocaine into Iceland concealed inside his body, mbl.is reports. He was also ordered to pay 1,698,983 krónur in legal costs.

The Reykjanes District Court issued its ruling on Thursday. The man arrived at Keflavík Airport on a flight from Amsterdam on 26 August carrying 537.84 grams of cocaine with a purity of 81 to 82 per cent. The drugs were intended for sale in Iceland for profit.

He pleaded guilty at the hearing and accepted the prosecution’s request to confiscate the cocaine. His admission was consistent with the case evidence, and the case was decided without further evidence being presented.

In setting the sentence, the court considered that, as far as was known, he had no previous criminal record and had readily admitted his guilt. The evidence did not show that he owned the drugs or had helped organise their purchase or import beyond agreeing to carry them into Iceland for payment. The court also considered the quantity and strength of the cocaine and its intended sale.

The time he has spent in custody since 27 August will count in full towards his sentence. The legal costs include 532,763 krónur in prosecution expenses and 1,166,220 krónur in fees for his defence lawyer, including value-added tax. The drugs were confiscated.