A Linden labourer was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail and fined $1.7 million after he was charged with attempting to traffic cocaine in fudge.
Shaka Nunes, 36, of Maxwell Alley, Christian-burg, Linden, was initially charged alongside his wife, Vanica Williams, of the same address, but the charge against her was withdrawn after he pleaded guilty and maintained that she had no knowledge of his actions.
The couple appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in George-town, where the charge was read to them.
The charge against them stated that on February 15th, 2021, between Lot 31 Maxwell Alley, Christian-burg, Linden, DHL Ex-press at Lot 34 “B” Republic Avenue, Linden and DHL Express at Lot 50 “E” Fifth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown, they trafficked 3.692 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Nunes, a father of five, pleaded guilty to the offence and later informed the court that his wife had no knowledge of the offence. He asked for lenience as he noted that he did not wish to waste the court’s time.
Williams was subsequently freed of the charge.
The charge had its genesis in DHL in Georgetown receiving a suspicious package shipped from Linden, which prompted the company to contact the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU).
An analysis subsequently confirmed that the fudge included in the box of local snacks tested positive for cocaine.
CANU ranks then visited the location of the mailing address in Linden, where they met Williams. She was questioned and told officers that it was her spouse, Nunes, who gave her the package to ship.
Nunes was contacted and he confessed, stating that the package belonged to him and Williams had no knowledge of it. Nonetheless, they were both held and charged.
