A Jamaican woman who allegedly swallowed a quantity of cocaine pellets with the intention of exporting the illegal substance was yesterday remanded to prison when she made her first appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The allegation against Alkesha Anderson, 34, a hairdresser of Lot 177 Caspian Close, Marine Park, Portmore, Jamaica read that on February 8 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri she had in her possession 656 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Anderson pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to her by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah told the court that the defendant arrived in Guyana on January 29 of this year. She was returning to her homeland on February 8 on Fly Jamaica flight number OJ152 and while at the CJIA airport, an officer on duty noticed her acting in a strange manner. He approached her and told her of his suspicion. She was questioned and later taken to a city hospital. At the hospital, after examination the woman excreted 49 pellets containing cocaine, Massiah said. When the substance was weighed in her presence it amounted to 656 grammes.
Anderson was represented by attorney Mark Conway who made an application for reasonable bail to be granted stating that the defendant is a sickly person who suffers from diabetes. Conway pleaded with the court to take the facts stated into consideration and grant bail under special circumstances, but his application was denied.
The matter was subsequently transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for February 13.
