A WOMAN convicted of trying to smuggle methamphetamine into the Suva Remand Centre has been jailed for a year and four months.

Vitalina Harry admitted a count each of unlawful entry of prohibited articles and unlawful possession of illicit drugs before Suva Magistrate Yogesh Prasad last Friday.

Court records show Harry, a first offender, visited her cousin at the Suva Remand Centre on August 15 last year.

Prior to being allowed in, she was searched by the prison authorities who found clear plastics with a crystal-like substance in her possession.

She was arrested and the matter reported to police.

A police forensics test result revealed the crystal-like substance to be methamphetamine weighing up to 1.521 grams.

In mitigation, Harry expressed remorse and promised not to reoffend.

“Court notes that the police are battling a rise in drug offences throughout Fiji and deterrence by way of custodial sentence is the only resort to send warnings across for permanent abstinence in possession and selling of hard drugs,” Magistrate Prasad ruled.

“Court also notes that the prison department is also battling to curb contrabands coming inside the prison during visitations and a custodial sentence will become a deterrence factor.”