Barber Joel Albert was sentenced to five years imprisonment after confessing to a charge of trafficking in narcotics.
Albert, of Lot 35 Canefield Settlement, East Canje, was also fined $4,903,200 or an alternative of ten months imprisonment by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo at the New Amsterdam Court on Thursday.
The Police Prosecutor, Corporal Roberto Figueira, told the court that police ranks, acting on information, went to the lower flat of a two storied wooden building where the defendant resided. A search was conducted and in the kitchen a black haversack was found. On examining the contents of the bag, a taped bulky parcel was discovered, which was found to contain leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be portions of cannabis sativa.
Albert was arrested and taken to Central Police Station. The contents of the haversack were weighed and amounted to 1Kg 816 grammes.
Figueira requested that the court impose the maximum penalty as narcotics are destroying the moral fabric of the society. In addition, he asked that the defendant be fined four times the street value of the narcotic. The street value of the drug is estimated at $900 per gramme. Albert asked for leniency. “Madam, I am sorry. Please be lenient. I come back into this country and I just trying with a little hustle,” he said.