Grahamstown resident Nolubabalo Babsie Nobanda, 23, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of R250 000 in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.
She was arrested soon after touching down aboard a Qatar Airways jet at Bangkok International Airport in December last year, after she was found to be carrying 600 grams of cocaine concealed in her hair.
Grahamstown resident Nolubabalo Babsie Nobanda, 23, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and a fine of R250 000 in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.
She was arrested soon after touching down aboard a Qatar Airways jet at Bangkok International Airport in December last year, after she was found to be carrying 600 grams of cocaine concealed in her hair.
Her arrest was given substantial international publicity as Thai authorities showed a media conference how she had hidden the illegal substance in her dreadlocks.
Nobanda's mother, Honjiswa Mbewu, and a legal advisor were going to travel to Bangkok for the sentencing, but they cancelled their trip under doctor's orders because Mbewu was deemed to be too stressed to undertake the flight.
It is believed that one or two years could be added to her sentence if she does not pay the fine.
The Facebook page, petitioning to have Nobanda brought back to South Africa to serve her sentence, has already received many messages of support for her.
