Brazilian woman jailed for smuggling cocaine into Ireland

A 25-year-old Brazilian woman, Camila Alves Cintra Ribeiro, has been sentenced to two years in prison for swallowing 100 pellets of cocaine to smuggle them into Ireland. She was captured at Dublin Airport on June 6, 2024. Ribeiro had agreed to transport the drugs in exchange for nearly €1,000 due to financial pressures and the need for her child's medical surgery. Initially, she tried to back out of the plan. However, she and her family received threats, which pressured her into continuing. Upon arrival in Ireland, Ribeiro caught the attention of an immigration officer who spoke Portuguese. When questioned, Ribeiro confessed to swallowing the cocaine and asked to use the restroom. She later passed the pellets, valued at about €69,000, and was also found with €1,000 in cash. During the trial, Ribeiro explained her desperate situation, saying she was threatened with a €10,000 demand after trying to withdraw from the deal. Her lawyer stated that Ribeiro was genuinely remorseful and was manipulated by those exploiting her vulnerability. Judge Martin Nolan recognized Ribeiro's cooperation with authorities and her difficult circumstances. He decided to backdate her two-year sentence to the date she entered custody, considering her unlikely to reoffend.