Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts indicated that four more witnesses were slated to testify in the case against a mother of one who attempted to ship four hammocks laced with cocaine to the United States of America.
Tiffani Collison
A solemn Tiffani Collison, accused of trafficking 6.742 kilograms of cocaine to the US in September last, appeared in court, accompanied by trial lawyer Stanley Moore, as the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) continued before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
Twenty-six-year-old Collison, of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, is charged for allegedly posting a box containing the cocaine-laced hammocks at DHL Express in Alberttown, Georgetown on September 20, 2017.
On Thursday, CANU Officer Joseph Innis took to the witness box where he gave a sworn statement to the court during which he related that following the incident, he collected statements from the human resources department at DHL Express which revealed that the sender was listed as Nora Barton (the mother of the accused) and the recipient as one Keith Brown. Hereafter, Innis testified, he made contact with the defendant at CANU headquarters, where she was told of the allegation and cautioned.
Thursday’s proceedings were cut short by an unforeseen occurrence on the part of the prosecution and the case was adjourned to be heard today.
A Customer Service Officer (CSO) from DHL Express had appeared previously to give sworn testimony in the trial.
According to the witness, she was approached by the accused, who expressed her desire to have four hammocks shipped to the US to the said recipient, Keith Brown, as a gift.
The accused reportedly produced her Identification Card (ID); TIN Certificate and bills in her mother’s name as proof of address before filling out a security form permitting CANU to inspect the item.
The shipping fee was paid, and the accused was told that the item would be shipped. However, subsequent checks revealed that the hammocks were laced with the illicit drug and a wanted bulletin was issued for the defendant’s arrest. She was subsequently charged for the offence.
