Gambia-Justice - A magistrate's court in Banjul, the Gambian capital, Wednesday sentenced eight foreigners to 50 years imprisonment with hard labour each after finding them guilty of drug peddling charges.

According to local media reports, the presiding magistrate, Sheriff Tabally, declared that  the prosecution had proved its case beyond all reasonable doubts against the eight accused persons over charges relating to trafficking in prohibited drugs.

The convicts, all foreigners of different nationalities, were linked to 2.1 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of over $US 120 million.

Pronouncing judgment, the magistrate said the accused persons deserved heavy sentencing considering the serious nature of their crime.

'I am going to send a signal to other drug traffickers that Gambia is a no-go area for them,' he remarked.

The convicts include two Dutch -- Rudy Rasoehamid Gazi and Dennis Wilgo Winter; a Nigerian Ephraim Michael Chidubem; George Sanchez from Mexico and four Venezuelans.

The drug seizure was made over a year ago when members of the Gambian police, in collaboration with their counterparts from Britain, nabbed the drug-peddlers with the drugs.

Pana 14/10/2011