Convicted drug trafficker gets 5 years, fined $17M

Well-known drug trafficker Lena Narine was on Friday slapped with a five-year sentence of imprisonment after Georgetown Magistrate Rondell Weever found her guilty of trafficking 11.4kg of cocaine back in 2022. A fine of $17.1 million has also been imposed on her.
Narine was among five persons nabbed with cocaine and ecstasy pills worth $12.9 million, and they were accordingly charged, but were subsequently released on cash bail. They were jointly charged with allegedly having 11.4 kilograms of cocaine at Shantiniketan Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown on March 29, 2022.
The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) has said that on the day in question, ranks conducting an operation at Shantiniketan Street in Prashad Nagar, Georgetown observed HC 577, a gold-coloured Toyota Allex motor car with a “Sheriff Taxi” logo, parked along the side of the road. Shortly after, motor car PSS 4046 pulled up beside that car, and parked opposite the aforementioned address.

One Herbert came out of the car with a black plastic bag in his possession, and went into a house where Lena Narine was standing at the front door. At this point, CANU agents went into the yard and entered the house, where they saw one Butcher, Jamal Narine and Gregory Faria, and found a black plastic bag on a plastic chair. Several brown parcels with green markings and containing cocaine were found in the black plastic bag.
A further search was conducted in the house in presence of those found therein, 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 therein. That 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 involved carried an approximate street value of $12.5 million, and CANU estimated that the ecstasy pills were worth $400,000.
Lena Narine was among three persons who, in January 2023, were nabbed by CANU with 1.05 kilograms of narcotics. They were each sentenced to a two-year term of imprisonment, and were each fined $1.7 million.
It was reported that Lena Narine, 63, Sherlan Edmonson, 54, and Earl Branch, 49, were charged with the offence of trafficking 1.050 kilograms (2.3 pounds) of cocaine at their residence at Lot 295 Shantiniketan Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown. The drug has a local street value of $1.1 million.
She has since secured High Court bail in relation to that case.