A Nepalese woman was sentenced by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly US$10,000 for attempting to smuggle more than seven kilograms of marijuana resin from Phnom Penh to Nepal last year.

“The court sentenced Tiri Maya Tamong to 20 years and fined her 40 million riel ($9,948) for international drug trafficking,” judge Keo Mony said.

He added that the 39-year-old was arrested by immigration police on July 15 at Phnom Penh International Airport after they seized more than 7.8 kilograms of marijuana resin packaged in black plastic inside her luggage.

“I cannot accept my charges and my punishment because I was not a drug trafficker,” Tiri Maya Tamong told the Post.

Tiri Maya Tamong said she was asked by an unidentified woman at the airport to help carry her luggage, and was arrested after the luggage was checked.