Sherlock Reid was on Monday charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking after he allegedly tried to dupe two men into mailing over two pounds of the drug, hidden in bible cases, to Antigua for him.
But Reid, of 36 Shirley Field-Ridley Square, pleaded not guilty when the charge of possessing 1044 grammes (2.3 pounds) of cocaine on December 16 for the purpose of trafficking was read to him in the court of Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
According to Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah, on the day in question Reid contacted a taxi driver he was familiar with and requested that the man come to his home. On arrival at Reid’s home, the taxi driver was allegedly asked by the defendant to post a box of items. However, the taxi driver declined, stating that he did not have identification on him. However, a passenger of the taxi driver offered to post the box for Reid.
Massiah said that Reid brought out the box and showed the taxi driver and the passenger what it contained—photo albums, CD cases and religious CDs.
The box was later taken to a local shipping agency and eventually the Ogle International Airport. There, CANU officers checked the box and found the illegal substance concealed within the box, hidden within Bible cases. The box, Massiah stated, was destined for Antigua.
The passenger and the driver were subsequently arrested and investigations carried out led to the defendant.
However, Reid’s lawyer George Thomas stated that his client did not admit to any relationship to the taxi driver or the passenger. He also added that his client had not been found with the illicit substance. As a result, Thomas made a bid for bail in a reasonable sum.
Reid was initially refused bail by Sewnarine-Beharry but, after the matter was transferred to court 2, he was granted bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan in the sum of $500,000. He is also to report to the Ruimveldt Station regularly.
Reid is scheduled to return to court on February 26.
