Two Jamaican nationals, who attempted to smuggle compressed marijuana into Guyana, were yesterday both jailed and ordered to pay a total of over $40 million in fines after being found guilty of the crime.
Benjamin Carrington, 27, and Tamara Douglas, 31, were charged with possession of narcotics for drug trafficking, after almost 28 grammes of marijuana was found in their luggage when they landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on April 21. They both had pleaded not guilty.
At the conclusion of their trial in Georgetown, Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday sentenced Carrington to 60 months imprisonment and fined him $23,181,000, while she sentenced Douglas to 54 months imprisonment and fined her $18,000,408.
Carrington, a vendor from Kingston, Jamaica had been found with 15.454 kilogrammes of cannabis, while Douglas, a hairdresser from Portland, Jamaica, had in her possession 12.272 kilogrammes of marijuana.
Both arrived in Guyana via Fly Jamaica flight OJ153 but they were subsequently detained. According to the police’s case, the cannabis was discovered when personnel running the luggage scanner at the airport noticed a block-like object at the bottom of both suitcases. The owners of the luggage were asked to identify themselves, at which point the duo came forward. A search of the luggage was then carried out in front of the two passengers and the illegal substance was discovered in both suitcases. The cannabis was concealed in transparent plastic bags at the bottom of the luggage.
