Sarawak nurse to face court on drug charge on Monday

by Neville D’Cruz. Posted on January 7, 2012, Saturday

MELBOURNE: A young Sarawakian nurse, accused of attempting to import a ‘marketable quantity of drug’ into the airport here on Nov 6 will face the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on Monday for a plea hearing.

Beatrice Laus Johie, of Kuching, was found to have about 1.5 kg of heroin in her luggage when checked by Australian Customs.

The 28-year-old divorced mother-of-three was charged the next day and remanded in custody.

She told the Malaysian Consul-General here, Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya who visited her at the women’s prison in Deer Park, about 30km west of here on Thursday, she did not know she was carrying the drug.

Her Legal Aid lawyer has told her none of the fingerprints found on the package containing the drug belonged to her.

Johie said her travelling bag was packed by her then Nigerian boyfriend (name and phone number have been supplied to the authorities here and in Malaysia) who hurried her to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to catch an AirAsia flight to Melbourne.

She said she took leave from her hospital in Kuching after the 21-year-old Nigerian Stamford College student had asked her to come to Kuala Lumpur for a few days but when she arrived in Kuala Lumpur, he said they were going to Australia for a holiday.

But on the day of departure, he claimed he had problems with his visa and could not accompany her to Melbourne and asked her to go ahead, Johie said.

The nurse said she was shocked and devastated when Customs found the heroin.

“I had no idea it was in my luggage,” she said.

She told Mohd Rameez her prison conditions were fine and she had no complaints, but she missed her family, especially her three children.

Mohd Rameez assured Johie the Consulate would take care of her welfare and she can be assured of a fair trial. – Bernama