Botswana Woman Lesedi Molapisi Sentenced to Death in Bangladesh for Smuggling Drugs
The shocking news of Lesedi Molapisi’s death sentence in Bangladesh for drug smuggling has sent shockwaves across borders.
Blogger Setlhomo Raymond Tshwanelang took to Facebook to announce the devastating verdict, revealing that Judge Md. Aminul Islam handed down the death sentence on Monday, May 27th.
Lesedi Molapisi, a Motswana lady, was found guilty of attempting to smuggle 3 kilograms of heroin into Bangladesh in 2022. Her co-conspirator, Mahibul Islam Masood, a Bangladeshi national, was surprisingly acquitted, leaving Lesedi to face the harsh consequences alone.
Bangladesh maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drug smuggling, with severe penalties for offenders. Those convicted of trafficking heroin, cocaine, and related drugs in quantities exceeding 25 grams or milliliters face the death penalty.
According to sources close to the case, Lesedi Molapisi retains the right to appeal her death sentence. However, prospects for a successful appeal seem bleak, and she may languish on death row indefinitely.
Lesedi’s journey from Botswana to Bangladesh took a dark turn when she was apprehended at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on January 23, 2022. Arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from South Africa, she fell prey to a crackdown on narcotics smuggling at the Bangladeshi airport.
Authorities intercepted Lesedi as she passed through the “Green Channel,” reserved for passengers with no items to declare. A subsequent search of her luggage uncovered the illicit stash of heroin, leading to her arrest and subsequent trial.
The case has raised concerns about the plight of individuals ensnared in international drug trafficking networks, highlighting the dire consequences faced by those caught in the web of illicit trade. As Lesedi Molapisi’s fate hangs in the balance, the global community watches with bated breath, hoping for a resolution that brings justice without further loss of life.