After changing her plea for the third time and with the last one being guilty, former media worker 26-year-old Zanneel Nirmala Williams was yesterday sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $14.4 million for drug trafficking at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.
Williams of Lamaha Gardens appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Grove Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge of trafficking in narcotics. The charge stated that on April 25th last, Williams trafficked over 20 pounds of cocaine at the CJIA while being an outgoing passenger destined for the United States.
CANU had said that a search was conducted on the woman’s carry-on bag where a quantity of suspected cocaine was concealed. A further search on her body led to the discovery of an additional quantity of cocaine which was strapped on her. The combined narcotics weighed a total of 9.628 kilos/21.22 lbs (7.962 kilogrammes in her luggage and 1.666 kilogrammes strapped to her body).
Initially, when the charge was first read, Williams along with ex-CANU officer, 33-year-old Anil Sookhoo, and Guyana Revenue Authority Customs Officer, Shameka Caesar, 27, were also charged for the same offence. They were each granted $750,000 bail since they all pled not guilty. Williams first pled guilty, then on her second appearance changed her plea to not guilty, but finally pled guilty on her third court appearance two weeks ago.
