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February 3, 2011

Maryland man sentenced to 10 years in prison for importing heroin

BALTIMORE - U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr., sentenced Suleiman Ahmed Zakaria, 27, of Pikesville, Md., yesterday to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for importing heroin into the United States from Ghana. The sentence is the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of ICE HSI in Baltimore and CBP Baltimore Port Director Ricardo Scheller.

According to trial testimony, on Jan. 26, 2010, CBP officers at the Baltimore Washington International Airport inspected Zakaria as he entered the United States from London, England. The flight had originated in Accra, Ghana. Over approximately six pounds of heroin hydrochloride was found concealed within the lining of Zakaria's luggage.

 U.S. Attorney Rosenstein commended ICE HSI and CBP for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Nothstein and Kwame Manley, who prosecuted the case.

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