Two cosmetologists on separate cocaine-in-achar and cocaine-in-liqueur charges

A CANADIAN-GUYANESE woman who was allegedly nabbed with cocaine-in-achar at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, was refused bail by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday.CANADIAN citizen, Ashery Corbin of 2944 Lakeshore Boulevard West, Toronto, Canada, and also of Lot 125 Bagotville, West Bank of Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the offence of trafficking in narcotics.
According to the charge, the 41-year old cosmetologist, on Wednesday at the CJIA, had 6.116 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah said that Corbin is Guyanese-born but left for Canada in 1993 and on the day in question was an outgoing passenger to Canada.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant was in Canada when she reportedly received a phone call from Wayne Williams, requesting her to come to Guyana and take back the prohibited substance to Canada. Corbin told him that she was financially unable to book the flight and he offered to take care of that and also pay her US$10,000.
The prosecutor said that the defendant arrived in Guyana on February 19 last and was scheduled to depart for Canada on February 24. Williams reportedly informed the defendant that she would miss the flight on that day and he would re-book a ticket for February 26.
Massiah said further that Williams organised a taxi to take Corbin to the airport and during procedural checks, ranks using the scanner observed strange objects in her luggage. She was summoned to identify her suitcase and a subsequent search was conducted, which revealed two Ziploc bags containing achar with a seed like substance that tested to be cocaine.
Chief Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry informed the unrepresented defendant that no special reason was provided for her to be granted pretrial freedom. The case was transferred to Providence Magistrate’s Court, also on the East Bank of Demerara.

Cocaine-in-liqueur
Meanwhile, on Tuesday last, another cosmetologist, Tishana Edwards, of Lot 2 Victoria Road, Sparendaam, East Coast of Demerara, faced a similar charge and the case was also transferred to Providence Magistrate’s Court.
Edwards, a mother of one, was charged with having in her possession 2.092 kgs of cocaine for trafficking on Mashramani Day at the CJIA. During procedural checks, ranks manning the scanner detected two bottles of cream liqueur that contained strange objects. The defendant was an outgoing passenger on a Jamaica Airways flight destined for the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport in New York.

(By Geeta Rampersaud )