5 nabbed with $12.9M in cocaine, ecstasy pills released on bail after man claims ownership

Five persons including three pensioners and a Surinamese national who were nabbed with $12.9 million in cocaine and ecstasy pills were on Friday slapped with drug trafficking charges when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. They were all released on cash bail.
Charged are 62-year-old Lena Narine called “Aunty Lena”, a businesswoman; James Herbert called “Uncle James”, 60, a father of seven and contractor; Kay Jennifer Butcher, 71; 27-year-old Jamal Narine called “Tunks”, a waiter by profession; and Gregory Faria, a 47-year-old Surinamese national.
The quintet faced a joint charge which alleged that on March 29, at Shantiniketan Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, they had 11.4 kilograms of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

In addition, Lena Narine was charged separately for trafficking 266 grams of ecstasy pills on the same day. They pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to them by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.
Both of the Narines were represented by Attorney-at-Law Everton Singh-Lammy while Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes appeared for Herbert. Butcher was represented by Attorneys-at-Law Dexter Todd and Dexter Smartt.
In a report, the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) said that at around 19:45h on the day in question, its ranks conducted an operation at Shantiniketan Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, where they observed a gold Toyota Allex motor car, HC 577 with a “Sheriff Taxi” logo parked along the side of the road.

Shortly after, another motor car, PSS 4046, pulled up beside that car and parked opposite the aforementioned address. The court heard that Herbert came out of the car with a black plastic bag and went into a house where Lena Narine was standing at the front door.

At this point, agents of CANU went into the yard and entered the house where they saw Butcher, Jamal Narine, and Gregory Faria. The ranks found a black plastic bag on a plastic chair. Several brown parcels with green markings containing cocaine were found in the black plastic bag. A further search was conducted in the house in their presence during which another set of brown parcels containing a quantity of cocaine were found under three chair cushions.
The drug enforcement agents also searched motor car HC 577 after they saw Lena Narine placing a pink bag in it. The bag contained a quantity of grey, yellow and orange ecstasy pills. As a result, the five persons were arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters where the illicit drugs were weighed and marked in their presence.
The cocaine carries a street value of approximately $12.5 million. CANU estimates that the ecstasy pills are worth $400,000.
Police Prosecutor Richard Harris told the court that the driver of the taxi provided Police with a caution statement detailing his involvement with the accused persons. The prosecutor said that Herbert also give a caution statement in which he outlined his involvement with his co-accused in trafficking narcotics.
But there was a sudden twist in events when a man accompanied by Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry appeared at court claiming ownership of the narcotics.
However, the Police prosecutor urged the court not to entertain any remarks from the man as he suspects his actions might be a ploy to take the rap from the others. The prosecutor urged the man to make a report at CANU Headquarters.
Meanwhile, during a bail application, Butcher’s lawyer told the court that his client does not reside at the address mentioned in the charge. The lawyer contended that this special circumstance allows for his client to be admitted to reasonable bail.
For his part, Attorney Hughes said that his client and the other accused persons were taken from one Police station to another. In light of this, the lawyer urged the court to consider the admissibility of his client’s purported caution statement.
Attorney Singh-Lammy told the court that the narcotics could have belonged to anyone since the property is occupied by multiple persons. In light of the lawyers’ contentions, the Magistrate granted bail to each of the accused persons in the sum of $500,000.
Lena Narine’s bail totals $1 million since she was granted $500,000 bail on each of the two charges. The matter continues on May 4 for disclosure of statements.