Couple jailed, fined $57M for VIP lounge cocaine bust
couple who were last year busted with 10.392 kilograms of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) were on Wednesday jailed for 60 months each and fined million.
The sentence was handed down by city Magistrate Judy Latchman.
Appearing before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts was Mahendra Ramsuchit, who allegedly had in his possession on January 30, 2015, 10.392 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Rohbina Basdeoram
At his side was Ramsuchit’s reputed wife, Rohbina Basdeoram, who allegedly had 10.968 kilograms of cocaine for the same purpose, at the CJIA on the same day.
According to the prosecution’s case, the illicit substance was unearthed at the scanning checkpoint when an officer attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), spotted the cocaine blocks that were disguised in a bag. In addition to the substance found in the bag, several envelope parcels with “confidential” labels were also discovered to contain the drug.
Mahendra Ramsuchit
The couple were represented by Defence Attorneys Kim Young and Everton Singh-Lammy, who requested the Magistrate’s leniency, considering the fact that the couple had three children, with the youngest a seven-month breast-feeding baby, and there was no one to take care of their offspring.
After listening to the lawyer, Magistrate Latchman, considering the amount and street value of the drug and the organised manner in which the smuggling attempt was made and to dissuade others from committing the offence, sentenced the couple to 60 months each in prison.
Meanwhile, the trial of ex-ministerial aide Kenroy Joseph, of Newtown, Kitty, came to an end on Monday morning when Magistrate Latchman dismissed the charge, which stated that the defendant aided and abetted Ramsuchit and Basdeoram, to traffic a quantity of cocaine on January 30, 2015 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
According to the prosecution’s case, Joseph, identifying himself as “Kenneth Jones”, on January 30, 2015, helped the couple to pass through the VIP lounge of the Airport by presenting forged documents from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Airport Duty Office (ADO), stating that he was carrying out protocol duties for the two named individuals.
However, detailed security checks revealed the trio to be impostors.
The Magistrate, in her ruling, exonerated Joseph of the charge, as the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to convict him. Several witnesses presented during the trial were unable to positively identify him as the individual who aided the couple.
Joseph, however, is still to face the court for uttering forged documents to officials at the Airport on the said date.
The couple were represented by Defence Attorneys Kim Young and Everton Singh-Lammy, who requested the Magistrate’s leniency, considering the fact that the couple had three children, with the youngest a seven-month breast-feeding baby, and there was no one to take care of their offspring.
After listening to the lawyer, Magistrate Latchman, considering the amount and street value of the drug and the organised manner in which the smuggling attempt was made and to dissuade others from committing the offence, sentenced the couple to 60 months each in prison.
Meanwhile, the trial of ex-ministerial aide Kenroy Joseph, of Newtown, Kitty, came to an end on Monday morning when Magistrate Latchman dismissed the charge, which stated that the defendant aided and abetted Ramsuchit and Basdeoram, to traffic a quantity of cocaine on January 30, 2015 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
According to the prosecution’s case, Joseph, identifying himself as “Kenneth Jones”, on January 30, 2015, helped the couple to pass through the VIP lounge of the Airport by presenting forged documents from the Foreign Affairs Ministry to the Airport Duty Office (ADO), stating that he was carrying out protocol duties for the two named individuals.
However, detailed security checks revealed the trio to be impostors.
The Magistrate, in her ruling, exonerated Joseph of the charge, as the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to convict him. Several witnesses presented during the trial were unable to positively identify him as the individual who aided the couple.
Joseph, however, is still to face the court for uttering forged documents to officials at the Airport on the said date.
