-alleged recruiter remanded; cars, $14.5M in cash seized

A GEORGETOWN woman was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $4M after she admitted to trafficking cocaine in a false wall of her suitcase at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.
Bernadette Warren, 51, of Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on Sunday, April 16, 2017 at the CJIA,she had 1.504 kilograms of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Prosecutor of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), Konyo Sandiford told the court that the mother of two was an outgoing passenger on a Dynamic Airways flight destined for JFK Airport, New York when the discovery was made. According to the Prosecutor, two suitcases, which belonged to Warren, were placed on a scanner and it was discovered that one of them had false walls.
The walls were pierced and a whitish substance was found, the prosecutor said. Warren was escorted to CANU Headquarters where she gave a statement and disclosed who supplied her with the drugs.
When asked by Magistrate Fabayo Azore if she had anything to say, Warren stated that she was sorry about what happened. Before passing sentence, the Magistrate took into consideration that the woman pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time and the fact that she expressed remorse.
Meanwhile, the alleged recruiter, a 32-year-old businesswoman was also charged and remanded to prison, after CANU found almost five pounds of cocaine stashed in her Lodge, Georgetown home.

Joy Jacqueline Caines, who owns a Boutique, also appeared before Magistrate Azore and denied that on April 16, 2017 at Lot 232 Lockoo Street, Lodge, she had 2.092 kilograms of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Caines denied the charge while her lawyer, Adrian Thompson told the court that the mother of two also lives in Campbellville, Georgetown with her child father.
According to CANU prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford,on April 16, after Warren was arrested at the airport, she implicated Caines as the person who gave her the illegal substance.
The CANU ranks visited Caines’ house, conducted a search and found an empty suitcase with false walls that contained cocaine; the illegal substance was also found in the kitchen and on the stove. The court also heard that a large quantity of cash, amounting to $14.5M and other foreign currency were also found inside Caines’ house.
The CANU prosecutor also noted that a Toyota Premio and Altezza motor car which were found in the yard were also seized. Additionally, Caines’ child father was also implicated in the drug bust and is said to be in hiding. The businesswoman was remanded to prison until May 3, 2017.