A 30-year-old disc jockey who was busted with over $12M worth in cannabis was on Wednesday found guilty on the drug-trafficking charge by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman.

Anthony Carmichael, called ‘Strongy’ of Rosignol, West Coast Berbice, was sentenced to four years and six months jail along with a fine of $38.8M for trafficking 72.008 kilograms of cannabis on April 16, 2018, at Royal Castle, Sheriff Street, Georgetown.
The case was presented by Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford.

According to the facts of the case, in the wee hours of April 16, a CANU officer went to Royal Castle Sheriff Street location where he observed a burgundy-coloured Toyota motor car in the parking lot. The vehicle was searched and five parcels of marijuana were found inside.

The driver of the car abandoned the vehicle after suspecting that he was under surveillance and subsequently turned himself over to law enforcers in the company of his attorney.
Magistrate Latchman noted that Carmichael had told a CANU officer following his arrest that he had borrowed the Toyota car and uplifted the drugs at a sawmill in Berbice to take to Georgetown.

The accused further admitted to the CANU officer that he had a look-out man, who told him that he was being followed by two pick-up vans and was advised to park the car at Royal Castle and move away.

The caution statement was admitted into court and the CANU officer (name withheld) also testified during the trial. The officer told the court that Carmichael told him that after parking the car he went into a taxi and later that day returned to Berbice.
The look-out man (name withheld) testified also and told the court that he played no part in transporting the drugs. He was only the ‘look-out man,’ while Carmichael handled the drugs.

He had disclosed that the accused told him that he was coming with cannabis from the Berbice River.

Magistrate Latchman ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt and found Carmichael guilty of the offence.

The magistrate considered the mitigating factors before sentencing…the fact that the drug was trafficked in an organised manner which had a look-out man and the quantum of the drug. She also considered that the accused had spent the last four months on remand.
He was sentenced to four years and six months jail, along with a fine of $38.8M by the magistrate, who told him “do not do this again.”

However, Carmichael is currently before the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court, having been charged jointly with another for trafficking 9.165 kilograms of cannabis.

Reports are Carmichael was behind the wheel of a speeding car which broke through a police roadblock along the public road near the Fort Wellington Police Station.

The vehicle which was pursued by police was discovered crashed into a tree located in Number 23 Village, West Coast Berbice. When the ranks were approaching the vehicle, two occupants were seen exiting and entering another vehicle that sped away.

Ranks reportedly chased the second vehicle, which veered into a street at Number 27 Village, West Coast Berbice and landed ended up in a nearby trench.

The two males were seen exiting the vehicle and making good their escape in a nearby street, while the driver of the vehicle was arrested while in the process of attempting to dispose of the suspected cannabis.