Benin sentences Dutch man to 15 years in prison for possession of “high risk” drug

Benin’s Court of Economic Crimes and Terrorism Repression (CRIET) pressed Tuesday 15 years in prison sentence against a Dutch man for possession and sale of “high risk” drug, reports say.
The court also fined the man whose identity has not been revealed XOF10 million ($16,000). Per the verdict, the man has 15 days to appeal the decision.
The Dutch expat has reportedly been in custody since his arrest on February 17 this year, at Cotonou international airport.
The defendant following his arrest told the investigating judge he came to the West African country to sign a heritance document, Banouto reports. He also added that he came following an encounter with a British woman working at UK’s Foreign ministry.
The Institute for Security Studies in 2021 reported that Benin was increasingly becoming a hotspot in the global drug trafficking network. By June that year, the country’s share of the illicit trade amounted to 1.3 tons. The illicit drugs originate from Latin America and the Middle East.