Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 Source: Mississauga News (CN ON) Copyright: The Mississauga News 2014 Contact: http://www.mississauga.com/mississauga-on/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/268 Author: Louie Rosella DRUG TRAFFICKER'S SENTENCE MEANS KIDS REMAIN OVERSEAS BRAMPTON - A Superior court judge has rejected a Brampton woman's effort to have her children immediately brought back to Canada after sentencing her to eight years in prison for her role in what's been described as the biggest heroin bust in Canadian history and the largest-ever drug smuggling attempt at Pearson International Airport. Nasma Murtaza, 38, is serving her sentence in a federal penitentiary while her three children are cared for by family members in her native Pakistan, court heard. The case was up in Brampton court recently to deal with the issue of the children. Court heard that, for the time being, the children will remain overseas. Justice Joseph Fragomeni sentenced Murtaza recently in Brampton court. Her husband, Ali Murtaza, 38, was sentenced to life in prison last year, with no chance of parole for seven years. It's believed to be one of the harshest sentences handed down for heroin smuggling in Canadian history. Ali Murtaza was found guilty on three counts of importing a controlled substance and two counts each of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime. His wife was convicted of possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Last year, a Brampton jury found the couple guilty some three years after the RCMP discovered more than $100 million in heroin inside separate storage units in north Mississauga. Police recovered about 116 kilograms of heroin and $645,000 in cash from homes and storage units in Peel during the 2009 probe. "With heroin, 20-30 kilos would be considered a large seizure. This is huge," Supt. Ron Allen, who leads the RCMP's GTA Drug Section, said at a press conference announcing the arrests back in the summer of 2009. "I've been doing this for 35 years, most of that in drugs, and I've never seen a seizure like this." The three-week investigation, dubbed Project Oboard, began July 4, 2009 when a border guard at Pearson spotted an abnormality with several crates of household goods arriving on a cargo plane from Pakistan. Canada Border Services Agency officers subsequently discovered nearly nine kilograms of heroin inside. The drugs and the investigation were subsequently turned over to the Control Delivery Team, which specializes in secretly tracking drug shipments to the buyers. The team consists of investigators from the RCMP, Peel Regional Police and other GTA law enforcement agencies. From July 22-24, 2009, investigators executed seven search warrants, uncovering 108 kilograms of heroin hidden inside machine parts that had been shipped from Pakistan. Federal prosecutor Howard Piafsky argued that the couple conspired to import large amounts of society's "most dangerous drug," according to Canada's top court, and sell it on GTA streets. Court heard the couple tried to fly under the radar of authorities, raising a family in a quiet Brampton suburb and operating a jewelry store in Peel. Speaking through an interpreter, Nasma Murtaza begged the judge for mercy. She said she fears for the lives of her three children, who have been living in Pakistan with family since she and her husband were arrested by the RCMP in 2009. "Over there, they have a lot of problems. Their life isn't safe over there," she tearfully told Justice Joseph Fragomeni. "There is no electricity, no gas, no water." Nasma was asking federal prosecutors and the judge to give her enhanced credit for the time she spent in pre-trial custody so she can have her children brought back home where they belong. "They always ask me, 'Mama, when are we going to come back?'" Nasma said. "And I always tell them lies and say, 'Soon.'" - --- MAP posted-by: Matt