Filipino Woman Freed After 10-Year Legal Battle Over Charas Smuggling Case

A Filipino woman convicted in a drug smuggling case has been freed after the court sentenced her to the exact period she had already spent in custody. According to Tihar Jail records, she served 6 years, 7 months and 11 days, leading to her immediate release.

The case dates back over a decade when the Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) discovered charas—a cannabis derivative—concealed inside a book that was being mailed to the United Kingdom. The woman was arrested and convicted in connection with the smuggling attempt.

After a prolonged legal process spanning nearly 10 years, the court's order to sentence her to time already served has effectively concluded the protracted chapter. The judgment marks the resolution of a complex case involving international drug trafficking that had kept the woman in custody for an extended period.