A South Sophia man who was found with cocaine hidden in Banko wine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) on Friday told a city court that he “was under pressure” at the time and had been promised US$2,500 to transport the drugs.
Berkeley Ferdinand, 47, a painter of Lot 236 South Sophia, was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge stating that on December 16, at CJIA, he had 1.790 kg of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. The matter was heard by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
Prosecutor for the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) Konyo Sandiford-Thompson, related that on December 16, Ferdinand had been an outgoing passenger on Caribbean Airlines flight BW526 to the John F Kennedy airport when a CANU officer had cause to check his suitcase.
Suspicious imagery which appeared on the scanner initiated a search of the suitcase, which Ferdinand confirmed was his. The officer unearthed two bottles of Banko wine, which, when opened, revealed contents that appeared red with sediment. After a field test was conducted and Ferdinand was told of the suspicion that he had been in possession of narcotics, he was escorted to CANU headquarters, where he told the investigating rank what had led him to commit such a crime.
Ferdinand, after expressing remorse and pleading for the mercy of the court, was fined $4,833,000, which is three times the street value of the narcotics and sentenced to three years imprisonment.
