An alleged “lil hustle” has landed a Golden Grove woman in jail after she was accused of trying to mail 24 grammes of cannabis, hidden among toilet paper rolls, to Issano, in the Mazaruni District.
Sharon Campbell of Section ‘C,’ Golden Grove, pleaded not guilty to a trafficking in narcotics charge when it was read to her by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Prosecutor Michael Grant said Campbell had gone to River Crest Shipping Company, a postal business on Charlotte and Light streets, to post some items to Issano in the Mazaruni District on January 23. Among the items was a large bale of toilet paper.
The items underwent a physical check by a security guard on duty and during the search, three rolls were found missing from the bale of sanitary items. In their place were three black plastic bags. The guard took them out, opened them and discovered seeds, leaves and stems suspected to be cannabis.
After asking whether it was indeed cannabis, the security guard’s suspicions were confirmed when Campbell allegedly responded in the affirmative, stating that “is a lil hustle I doing.”
Campbell also allegedly offered the man a large sum of money to permit her to post the package. However, he declined and informed her that he would have to report the matter to the relevant authorities. He also insisted that she accompany him. Despite his insistence, Campbell left the business.
Prosecutor Grant stated that the guard took the bale of toilet papers with the black plastic bags to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, where he reported the matter and handed over the evidence to the police.
Despite attempts at reaching the accused at her home, she was not in custody until, accompanied by a lawyer, she turned herself in.
In court, the woman’s lawyer, Clyde Ford, explained that his client had been at Stabroek Market when a woman approached her and asked her to post the package. However, Campbell claimed to have had no knowledge that the illicit substance was in the package.
Prosecutor Grant objected to bail, listing the prevalence and nature of the offence as well as the fact that the defence had raised no special reasons for bail consideration.
The prosecutor’s objections were upheld and the woman was remanded to prison until today, when she will make her second appearance in Court Six.
