A mother and her daughter were hauled before a city court yesterday to answer the charge that they trafficked 5.8 pounds of cocaine found at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in the latter’s handbag as she was going through a security check.
Kavita Persaud, 40, also known as ‘Natasha,’ and her daughter, Rachel Narine, 19, were both charged with trafficking 2.660 Kilogrammes (equivalent to 5.8 pounds) of cocaine on February 14th, at CJIA.
Persaud and Narine, both of Lot 55 Ramsingh Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara, denied the charge, which was read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) prosecutor Konyo Sandiford objected to bail being granted to either woman, while noting that they have both given statements admitting their involvement in the crime.
According to the CANU prosecutor, on the day in question Narine was an outbound passenger at CJIA and while going through the internal scanner at immigration, she was intercepted, her handbag was examined and the suspected cocaine was uncovered.
CANU, the prosecutor noted, contacted Persaud along with a taxi driver who had transported them to the CJIA. They were then escorted to CANU headquarters, where Sandiford said a detailed caution statement was given by both defendants underlining their involvement in the attempt to smuggle the cocaine. The taxi driver was also interviewed and gave a statement, she noted.
Attorney Everton Singh-Lammy later requested reasonable bail for his clients, while noting that the suspected cocaine was found in a bag that could have been accessed by at least three persons. The attorney’s bail request was denied and the two women were remanded to prison until February 22nd, when the case is to be called again.
