Johannesburg – Convicted drug mule Lesedi Molapisi from Botswana has been sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court.
Mmegionline reports that the 32-year-old Molapisi was sentenced to death on Monday on drug trafficking charges.
The publication reports that Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi has pledged to support Molapisi if she appeals her death sentence.
The Bulrushes reported in November 2022 that Molapisi had been arrested and faced a death sentence in Bangladesh.
However, reports that she was to be executed during that month later proved incorrect.
RELATED: Dad Says, ‘Drug Mule’ Daughter Lesedi Molapisi Has Not Been Executed – The Bulrushes
However, this week on Monday Molapisi was sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court for drug trafficking charges.
Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reports that a Dhaka court awarded Molapisi the death penalty.
“Additional Metropolitan Session Judge, Court Number 8, Dhaka Md Aminul Islam passed the order on Monday. Assistant bench officer of the concerned court… confirmed it today,” reported the agency on Monday.
Molapisi’s goose was cooked when she arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, on a Qatar Airways flight from South Africa, which came via Doha.
It was 23 January 2022.
Dressed in white and wearing a medical mask, Molapisi landed on a warm Sunday afternoon.
Unbeknownst to Molapisi, her arrival coincided with an alert that the airport was being used to smuggle narcotics.
Bangladesh authorities said customs officials and National Security Intelligence officers intercepted Molapisi in the “Green Channel” – the passage for arriving passengers with no goods to declare.
Molapisi’s luggage was searched and 3.146 kg of heroin was found concealed inside.
The Botswana national was promptly arrested.
At the time, Daily Star in Bangladesh quoted Sanuwarul Kabir, deputy commissioner of Customs as saying: “We have information that cocaine is being smuggled but officials from the Department of Narcotics Control primarily confirmed that the seized item is heroin. We will send the samples for laboratory tests”.
Molapisi has been behind bars since her arrest.
Mmegionline reports that earlier this week on Wednesday, before departing for the JCK Show in the U.S.A., President Masisi said: “I leave on a sombre note that a citizen of ours in a faraway land, got into trouble and is faced with a very harsh reality of paying the hard price,”
He appealed to Batswana to keep Molapisi and her family in their prayers “and wish that there would be some [other] reason to punish her but not as severely as she is being punished”.
President Masisi said: “What is left is an appeal. We will facilitate and provide counselling to the family.
“Provide some sort of financial support to enable the final appeal, as is led by the international human rights agency, Amnesty International.”
