THIRTY-YEAR-OLD SAFRAZ Jallalodeen of Lot 14 Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown was on Friday sentenced to four years in prison and fined more than $16M for the offence of trafficking in narcotics.Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan imposed the sentence on the 30-year-old welder after he pleaded guilty to a charge detailing that on Thursday, May 19, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, he was found in possession of 6.048 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson said that on the day in question, the defendant was an outgoing passenger on a Caribbean Airlines’ flight destined for the John F. Kennedy International Airport in the USA when CANU ranks, acting on information received, searched his two suitcases and found the cocaine concealed in several Kerrygold milk packets.

Told of the offence and arrested, the defendant, under caution, reportedly admitted ownership of the drug and told investigators he was offered US$7,000 to transport the narcotics to the United States, to which he would have been a first-time traveller.

Thompson also informed the court that the accused has been cooperating with CANU in their investigations.

After reviewing the charge, the magistrate sentenced Jallalodeen to four years’ imprisonment and imposed on him a fine of $16,329,600.