Courts / Dublin / Report
"Naive mule" smuggled cocaine in vagina
Summary
A 26‑year‑old Brazilian mother, Hyonaru Moreno, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after she was found to have smuggled more than 1.5 kilos of cocaine into Ireland by concealing it inside her body. The drugs were discovered when customs officers at Dublin Airport, who were profiling passengers from Brazil, noticed Moreno's suspicious behaviour. She read a prepared statement about her planned stay in Ireland, which raised further suspicion and led to Gardaí being called. Moreno was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where X‑ray imaging revealed foreign objects in her body, including packages containing €37,000 worth of cocaine. She pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply and one count of importing cocaine at Dublin Airport on 8 June. The court noted she had no prior convictions and described the offence as a "desperate escapade" for financial reward.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Naive mule" smuggled cocaine in vagina. Charges or matters: one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply and one count of importing cocaine at Dublin airport on June 8 this year. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 8 Incident
- 2019-12-13 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply and one count of importing cocaine at Dublin airport on June 8 this year (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Handing down sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said Moreno was engaged in a "desperate escapade" for financial reward. He noted Moreno has two sons back in Brazil whom she misses deeply and that as a foreign national with limited English, her time in prison will be particularly hard. "I'm aware that this is a crime of desperation, but she made that decision and she must be punished for what she did," the judge said, adding: "These are sad cases." He backdated the sentence to June, when Moreno went into custody.
Places mentioned
Topics
Airport Incidents Drugs Stage Sentence
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