Dad and son face court for cocaine in suitcases at CJIA

FORTY-one-year-old Darren Owen Harris and his 19-year-old unemployed son, Darren Harris Jnr, both of Lot 27 D’Urban Street, Lodge, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts, following their being busted with cocaine at the CJIA whilst they were outgoing passengers on a Caribbean Airways flight to the USA last Friday, June 20.

The Harrises were unrepresented by counsel.

The elder Harris pleaded guilty to having in his possession 1 kg 454 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. He told court that the junior Harris does not know anything about the illegal substance although he was arrested, because he, the senior Harris, had put the substance in the handle of the suitcase.

The younger Harris was charged with having in his possession 1.176 kg of cocaine.

Police Corporal Bharat Mangru, prosecuting, said that on the day in question, the elder Harris was an outgoing passenger on a Caribbean Airlines flight destined for the United States of America when ranks at the airport saw him acting suspiciously and subsequently carried out a search on his person, during which Constable Jeffrey observed Harris’s suitcase handle to be tampered with.

A further search unearthed the illegal substance in the said handle, hence the senior Harris was arrested and charged by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

The senior Harris, a chef by profession, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fined $30,000.

Before handing down her sentence, the Chief Magistrate took into consideration the following factors: prevalence and seriousness of the offence, quantum of the load, and the fact that the accused pleaded guilty.

However, the younger Harris pleaded not guilty to the offence.

CANU Prosecutor Mr. Oswald Massiah said that on the day in question, at around 15:00hrs, the younger Harris was also an outgoing passenger on the said flight and was carrying two suitcases. He was asked to place both on a scanner, and two ladies handbags with bead handles were revealed in the suitcase. The nutmeg shaped beads contained silver-like paper which wrapped the prohibited substance.

Prosecutor Massiah said that during the caution, the defendant said someone had given him the bag to take to the United States, and on his arrival there, someone else would collect it from him.

Police prosecutor Bharat Mangru said the junior Harris gave the investigator conflicting addresses, such as Rosemary Lane, Norton Street and Durban Street, Georgetown.

Attorney-at-law George Thomas represented the junior Harris. He told the court that his client resides with his mother at the Durban Street address, has no pending matter, and is a vendor by trade. He asked for an early date to expedite the trial.

The matter was transferred to Providence Court for June 26.