CATHERINE Ross of Lot 701 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown was on Sunday, October 11, busted with 4.612 kilogrammes of cocaine and 3.826 kilogrammes of cannabis-sativa (marijuana) at the Ogle International Airport (OIA), East Coast Demerara.Unrepresented by legal counsel, she appeared yesterday before Sparendaam Magistrate Zameena Ali, pleaded guilty to two drug trafficking charges, and was sentenced to four years’ incarceration.

Police ranks attached to the Narcotics Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were, on the day in question, requested to carry out routine searches of outgoing passengers at the OIA. An outgoing passenger bound for St. Kitts and Nevis, Ross was searched, and the ranks found in a black canvas haversack four brick-like objects wrapped in brown tape, suspected to be marijuana. An additional search was conducted on Ross’s luggage, and three black plastic bags, each containing 200 transparent pellets of creamish powder suspected to be cocaine, were unearthed.
The 60-year-old Ross was sentenced to serve both charges concurrently, and was also fined $30,000.

(Sherah Alleyne)