Guilty of having marijuana

A 36-YEAR-OLD man who pleaded guilty to having marijuana will be sentenced by the Lae District Court today.
Robin Wafi, from Yangoru-Saussia’s Japaraka in East Sepik, pleaded guilty to possessing 3.5g of marijuana.
His case was mentioned for the first time on Friday.
Wafi was arrested while trying to board a flight from Nadzab in Lae to Kavieng on Thursday.
According to police investigations, Wafi was making his way at the security checkpoint in Nadzab airport with a bag packed with clothes and other belongings.
A guard searched his bag and found the marijuana.
Wafi was detained by the security guards and brought back to Lae where he was handed over to police.
Wafi told magistrate Issac Tjipet that he was not a marijuana consumer nor a trafficker.
“This is my first offence and I have two children in school. My wife is physically disabled and I am currently employed with a mining company in New Ireland,” he mitigated.
The police prosecutor, when asked by the court, said all marijuana cases had no court fines.
“Drug-related problems are rising in communities and the penalty must be a deterrent to the others who venture into such activities,” the prosecutor said.
Tjipet told Wafi he would be sentenced today.