THE court on Thursday, June 27, 2019 heard how ex-policeman, Shaun Darcy Nebblett, was blacklisted from leaving Guyana. He was arrested by local authorities in May at Moleson Creek Corentyne River, while attempting to flee to Suriname.

Nebblett also known as ‘Shaun Wyatt’ or ‘Dapper’ is currently undergoing a inquest before Principal Magistrate, Faith McGusty, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court in relation to him being extradited to the United States of America for a series of drug-related charges in relation to a cocaine smuggling ring abroad.

On Thursday the inquest continued with the testimony of Immigration Officer, Nigel Newton. Newton is stationed at the Central Immigration and Passport Office and is attached to the Immigration Services at Berbice as the inspector in-charge. According to the witness, on April 29, 2019 Nebblett was at Moleson Creek and was an outgoing passenger to Suriname.

However, the witness told the court when the man handed him his passport #RO681780 and he checked same into the border management system, it was found that Nebblett was blacklist from leaving the country. The witness explained that he informed his superior, who is the Chief Immigration Officer. Nebblett was arrested and handed over to the Springlands Police Station.

Newton made it clear that he has known Nebblett, since he had worked with him 15 years ago at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, while he was an immigration officer and the defendant was a police constable.

The matter is adjourned until July 23, 2019.

Nebblett is represented by attorney-at-law Darren Wade, while State Counsel, Stacy Goodings, who is from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers, represented the US Government. Nebblett is to be extradited to the United States to face a federal court for conspiracy to import cocaine, importation of cocaine, conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. In May the Government of the United States of America had made an application for his extradition through the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

On June 10, 2016 an arrest warrant was issued in the US for Nebblett’s arrest. He had however already fled to Guyana. According to the indictment, between August 2015 and September 2015 in the Eastern District of New York, Nebblett conspired to smuggle cocaine from Guyana to the US. It is alleged that he arranged for the courier in Guyana to smuggle to cocaine into the US for the payment of $US 8,000.

It is alleged that he met with the courier in Guyana, packed the person’s suitcase with the seven pairs of shoes, which had the cocaine inside. He had allegedly given the courier $US300 for money to rent a hotel room, when the person arrives at the John F. Kennedy JFK airport, New York. On August 28, 2015, the courier flew to New York and was arrested upon his arrival at the JFK airport with 1.45 kilogrammes of cocaine in his possession. The currier, when held by officers in New York, confessed and helped with investigation. The currier called Nebblett regarding the pick-up of the cocaine and he sent another individual to pick up the cocaine from the currier. The individual was arrested with US$8,000 in his possession.

In April 2019 Troy Thomas, who was wanted in the United States for murder, was extradited to that country and faced a federal court abroad. Thomas, of 32nd Street, South Ozone Park, Queens, New York, U.S.A., had been hiding out in Guyana for a number of years. Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, in December, ordered that he be extradited to face a charge of murder in that country back in 2011. The US Department of Justice had requested Thomas be extradited there to stand trial on three criminal charges he allegedly committed in the State of New York. Darren Wade along with Nigel Hughes and Bernard DaSilva were Thomas’s lawyers.