A man was yesterday handed a five-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of attempting to ship cocaine hidden in jeans.
Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry imposed the sentence on Deoraj Rayon Persaud, 29, of 52 Station Street, Kitty, after finding him guilty of trafficking in narcotics. She also ordered him to pay a fine of $30,000, when the case concluded at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard that on January 16, Persaud attempted to post 16 pairs of jeans and Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit Officers on duty found a total of 255 grammes of cocaine concealed in the waists and zippers of the items.
Persaud, who was granted $400,000 bail in February, chose to lead his own defence and made an application for time to present a witness who he thought was going to prove his innocence. Failing to do so, he closed his defence and the Magistrate subsequently ruled, finding him guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
