A Guyanese woman who attempted to smuggle cocaine to Spain through the post office was on Friday sentenced to five years imprisonment by Magistrate Judy Latchman. 

Sandra Daniels of 2, Dennis Street, Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was also fined $738,800 along with the custodial penalty.
Before Magistrate Latchman on her first appearance she pleaded not guilty to charge that said on May 8, at the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), she had in her possession 274 grams of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
She was refused bail on that day, but later secured pre-trial liberty from the High Court.
The prosecution’s case is that the woman went to the GPOC, Robb Street, Georgetown to post a carton to Plaza de Octubre, Valencia, Spain.
The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) said the box contained salon products such as false nails, files, nail decorations and 42 buffers. An examination revealed that the cocaine was concealed in plastic in the middle of each buffer.
The court was further told that Daniels informed investigators that a close male friend from Spain visited Guyana two weeks ago and requested that she post the items to him.
She also told the court that she was unable to see with her naked eyes what the contents of the product were. The woman claimed that she was employed at Banks DIH as a receptionist and the she was a mother of five children.
The woman said she does not have any previous or pending matters in Guyana. The CANU Prosecutor said that Daniels admitted that she had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in the United Kingdom for drug trafficking. However, she said she had served only 33 months and was later deported.
The defendant was represented by Attorney-at-Law Ms. Onassis Granville.
During the ruling, Magistrate Latchman revealed the facts to the court. The court heard that when the CANU officer opened the box at the post office to examine the contents therein, as it opened the officer got a strong scent.
The box contained combs, false finger nails, sprinkles and buffers. The CANU officer told the defendant of her suspicion, after she found a whitish substance in the middle of the buffer which she suspected to be cocaine, sealed in a transparent plastic. The CANU officer found nothing incriminating in the other articles, after which she cautioned Daniels and she remained silent.
The convict was then taken to CANU Headquarters, along with the box and its contents and hence the prohibited substance was weighed in her presence.
From the evidence, the court felt sure that the cocaine was in her control. The magistrate said that she believed beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant’s suspicion ought to have been aroused with the strong scent coming from within the box and the fact that combs, false nails, nail files and sprinkles were destined for Spain, a developed country.
In a plea for mitigation, defence counsel Todd informed the court that the defendant is unemployed and is a grandmother of 15. He explained that Daniels takes care of her grandchildren, since all of her children are employed. He asked that the court take into consideration her age, and not impose the full penalty.
Magistrate Latchman then enquired if the defendant had any prior convictions and after consulting Daniels, Todd told the court not in Guyana.
Magistrate Latchman then questioned where she was convicted?
Daniels then informed defence counsel Todd that she had been held in England for trafficking in a narcotics matter and then deported. He added that based on his instructions, there was no conviction.
Magistrate herself then asked the defendant, “Maam, were you ever convicted before in any part of the world”?
The Magistrate them recalled to Daniels that she told the court on May 9 last, that she was sentenced in England for trafficking in narcotics.
Todd apologised for the absence of the convict’s lawyer and contended that the defendant’s prior conviction should not influence the court’s decision.
Magistrate Latchman told the defendant, at her age of 50 with so many grandchildren, one would expect that she would have had some amount of wisdom to pass on to these grandchildren. She told Daniels that she must ask God for serenity to accept the things that she cannot change, courage to change the things she can and the wisdom to know difference.
The magistrate said: “I don’t know what journey you embarked upon that day to post nail files.However, having considered your age being 50, certainly you should have some amount of wisdom but you decided to go ahead with your devious act, which was wicked and would not be tolerated by the court.”
The court also considered the quantum of drugs involved and its value. The court acknowledged the need to deter others from contemplating on committing such offences and to also teach the defendant a good and powerful lesson.

(By Geeta Rampersaud)