13 years for ‘Black Rose’ drugs dealer
A WOMAN who was caught during a police drugs sting on Valentine’s Day last year has been jailed for 13 years.
During the operation called “Black Rose”, carried out by teams from the Narcotics and Antil-smuggling Division, 3.166 kilos of methamphetamine, two kilos of raw opium and 750 grammes of heroin linked to Pakistan, Iran, South Cyprus and North Cyprus with a market value of 10 million TL were found in the home of Zümrüt Deniz.
On Tuesday Ms Deniz was brought to Lefkoşa Assize Court to hear her fate. Before the verdict was handed down, some of the 500 conversations recorded between Ms Deniz and prison inmate Murat Aykol regarding drug dealing were played in court.
Ms Deniz pleaded guilty to the charges of “importing, buying and selling illegal drugs”.
Reading out the verdict, Judge Murat Soytaç said the drugs found in Deniz’s possession were all “very dangerous classes of drugs” with “addictive properties” and that they can “cause cognitive and physical damage to human health if consumed”.
After pointing out that Ms Deniz was in possession of “large quantities of drugs, enough to poison hundreds of people”, Judge Soytaç stated that she obtained “financial gains by selling the drugs to a third party under the direction of convicted prisoner” Aykol.
“The defendant knew that Murat Aykol was someone who was convicted of drug charges,” Judge Soytaç said.
“Murat Aykol needed the defendant’s help as it was impossible for him to commit drug crimes while he was in prison.
“Instead of keeping the person she loves away from drugs and ensuring he is a useful member to both society and herself, she helped this person to continue dealing drugs and undermined Murat Aykol’s rehabilitation by defeating the purpose of his sentence.”
Judge Soytaç said the types and amount of drugs and the purpose for possessing them were all aggravating factors in determining Ms Deniz’s sentence.
“While every segment of society is doing their part to deter and prevent drug use, the defendant’s procurement of drugs to sell them with a convicted drug dealer has undermined this fight,” the judge continued.
“Although the defendant knew firsthand the criminal consequences of drug dealing because of Murat Aykol, this did not deter her from committing these crimes and continuing to commit them.
“Considering the gravity of the crime, it is impossible to explain the defendant’s involvement in it only because she was in an emotional love relationship with . . . Aykol.
“Again, we are sad to see that despite the sentence, a person convicted of drug offences continues to commit such crimes during his imprisonment and even goes further and pulls the people around him into these crimes.
“Drug offences are among the most serious crimes that are becoming more and more common among young people day by day and are considered alarming by society.
“For this reason, we see from this case the importance of handing down severe and deterrent sentences on those who act as a bridge for drugs to fall into the hands of young people.”