A BRAZILIAN WOMAN who attempted to smuggle over €83,000 worth of cocaine into Ireland has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Kamila Henrique Lopes (28), who lives in Geriba, Brazil, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine at Dublin Airport on 5 June, 2024. She has no previous convictions.

Passing sentence today, Judge Elva Duffy said Lopes had an initial debt of the equivalent of €163, which escalated due to punitive penalties. She noted a governor’s report before the court, which highlighted that Lopes was on an “enhanced regime”.

Judge Duffy said it had been accepted by Garda O’Byrne that Lopes was at the lowest rung of this operation. She also accepted that Lopes was under significant pressure and was a vulnerable person.

Judge Duffy set a headline sentence of five and a half years, but after considering the mitigating factors, she reduced this sentence to three years and nine months and backdated to when Lopes was detained on 5 June, 2024.

Garda Emmet O’Byrne told Simon Donagh BL, prosecuting, that Lopes arrived at Dublin Airport on 5 June, 2024, on a flight from Brazil. Customs officials questioned Lopes, and a search took place. Lopes admitted to having swallowed 102 pellets of cocaine. Three other pellets were found inside a condom in her vagina.

The court heard that Lopes was taken to Beaumont Hospital as she had admitted to ingesting the pellets. She was kept in for four days, and during this time, she passed the 102 pellets.  The court heard that the entire value of the drugs was €83,510.

Gda O’Byrne said that during interview Lopes said she had borrowed the equivalent of €163 from a street lender in Brazil. Penalties were added to her debt, which increased to approximately €580.

Gda O’Byrne agreed with James Dwyer SC, defending, that Lopes co-operated with gardaí and told them that her trip to Ireland was organised by the person she owed her debt to.

The garda agreed with counsel that Lopes had been brought to a hotel room in Brazil and instructed to swallow the pellets. She told gardaí that she found it physically hard to swallow the pellets. He further agreed that Lopes “was acting as a courier and had no signs of wealth”.

Mr Dwyer said his client has been in custody since 10 June, 2024. While she has been in custody, she has taken educational courses.

Counsel said Lopes had given an early valuable plea and referred to her as the “lowest cog” in this operation.

He said that Lopes is in custody abroad with little to no English and only has six minutes per day to speak to her mother and daughter.