Smuggler had £24k of drugs at city airport
A DRUG smuggler caught bringing £24,000 of cannabis into Edinburgh has been jailed for 20 months.
Michael Richter, from Germany, had more than eight kilos of cannabis resin hidden inside his suitcase when he was stopped at Edinburgh Airport in May.
Customs officers became suspicious when they saw him walk through the "nothing to declare" channel with a large suitcase.
His defence lawyer claimed Richter agreed to act as a courier in a bid to bribe Cambodian officials to allow him to stay on in the country.
Richter, 53, pled guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the ban on importing drugs at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
Yesterday, Sheriff Neil Mackinnon said the sentence would have been 30 months had Richter not pleaded guilty.
"Due to the seriousness of this matter only a custodial disposal is appropriate," said the sheriff.
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Saturday 18 February 2012
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