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Laos: Samantha Orobator, British Drug Smuggler, Sentenced to Life

by cyn.khoo | June 3, 2009 at 12:20 pm

267 views | 32 Recommendations | 4 comments

Samantha Orobator, a British drug smuggler who received widespread publicity when she became pregnant while imprisoned in a jail in Laos, has been given a life sentence for heroin trafficking.

A British Embassy spokesman said the verdict on the 20-year-old from London was handed down at a one-day hearing in the capital Vientiane.

Police said they found 1.5lbs of heroin in 68 capsules on Orobator when she was arrested at Vientiane airport on her way to Australia. The British legal charity Reprieve said the drugs were found in her luggage.

Although the normal verdict in the country for such a crime is death, Lao law prohibits the execution of pregnant women. There has been much speculation surrounding the origin of Orobator's pregnancy.

Laos government spokesman Khenthong Nuanthasing said earlier authorities are investigating how Orobator, due to give birth in September, became pregnant while in custody.

The Vientiane Times newspaper quoted police as saying Orobator had allegedly admitted impregnating herself with the sperm of another prisoner to avoid the death penalty.

There is a possibility that Orobator may be extradited to Britain to serve her sentence there.

Because of a prisoner-transfer agreement signed last month between Britain and Laos, Orobator may be able to serve her sentence back home instead of in one of Laos' notoriously decrepit prisons. Previous foreign inmates in Laos have complained of torture, inadequate food and routine overcrowding of cells.

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Pythiian1

at 17:22 on June 3rd, 2009

It's always surprising to see foreigners try to smuggle drugs from countries that are not exactly lenient toward traffickers.

jazzyzazzy

at 00:22 on June 4th, 2009

She is young and completely ruined her chances of a reasonable life. Now Punishment should be dealt with on home ground. I hope they bring her home to be rehabilitated rather than keep her locked up in purgatory.She is young enough to be rehabilitated and deserves the chance to be a good mother to her unborn child. She was most likely exploited by a big fat criminal with big fat pockets.

kdb (not verified)

at 08:11 on June 7th, 2009

Why should she come back here and cost the state a fortune? Leave her in Laos.

cyn.khoo

at 01:20 on June 12th, 2009

I think serving life in a Laos prison as described may be a bit much, especially, as jazzyzazzy said, considering her age. Though that was plainly just a stupid thing to do. On the other hand, who knows what her motivations for it were? She might have been in extreme/desperate circumstances to try something like that, for all we know...