A South African asylum-seeker who told gardai he became involved in a drug-smuggling operation after his brother was threatened in South Africa has been jailed for four years for conspiring to import £40,000 worth of drugs into the State.
Edwin Akandu (31), with an address at Moyglare Apartments, Maynooth, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to conspiring with others to import 12kg of cannabis into the State between May 30th and 31st last.
Akandu entered Ireland illegally in January 1999 and applied for asylum last Dec ember.
Judge Moran said he would review the sentence in October 2001.