An Australian mother-of-two who was convicted on drug smuggling charges has had her appeal knocked back in Cambodian court on Tuesday.
Queensland woman Yoshe Ann Taylor, then 41, was found attempting to smuggle 2.2kg of heroin out of Cambodia and into Australia in September 2013.
She was convicted on drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 23 years in a Cambodian jail.
The woman collapsed on the floor in shock after Customs officials found heroin in her bag. Photo / Supplied
Judge Pol Sam Ouen rejected the appeal, shattering Taylor's hopes of an early release from the notorious Phnom Penh prison where she had been holed up for more than three years.
Since Taylor, a school teacher in Queensland, was caught with the 2.2kg worth of heroin her lawyers have argued she was the victim of an intricate love scam.
It is reported she became romantically involved with Nigerian man Precious Chneme Nwoko, then 23, who was posing as a successful South African businessman.
Nwoko befriended Taylor online and paid for her airfare over to Cambodia, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
When Taylor was due to fly back to Australia, Nwoko asked her to carry a bag of arts and crafts supplies back with her.
Taylor was caught with the bag, containing the heroin, at the airport before even checking-in for the flight.
Video footage has shown her collapsing at the airport when discovering the drugs were planted in her bag.
She was arrested, and Nwoko, who reportedly masterminded the smuggling, was arrested soon after.
He was sentenced to 27 years in jail but he is allegedly still operating love scams from behind bars, targeting Australian woman.
A Nigerian man Precious Chneme Nwoko suspected of smuggling heroin, is escorted by guards to a appeals court, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo / AP
Nwoko's 27-year sentence was also upheld in Cambodian court on Tuesday.
Frenchwoman Charlene Savarino, then 19, was also convicted of drug trafficking when she was caught alongside Taylor attempting to traffic the A-Class drug from Cambodia into Australia.
Savarino, who was sentenced to 25-years behind bars, also had her appeal rejected in court on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old Frenchwoman was believed to be Nwoko's girlfriend.
Cambodia is not a major producer of illegal drugs but has increasingly become a smuggling transit route.
Khieu Vann, the lawyer for Taylor, told reporters that the appeals court's decision was an injustice and that he would consult with his client to see if she wished to appeal to the Supreme Court.
