ESMOND Jermaine Anderson on Monday appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to a cocaine trafficking charge.

Anderson, of Number Five Village, West Coast Berbice, was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on February 18, 2022, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with $17.2 million worth of cocaine concealed in a bowl of ‘fried rice’.

According to CANU, Anderson was about to travel on a Jet Blue Airways flight that was destined for the JFK Airport in New York.

His suitcase was reportedly searched in his presence, and the suspected cocaine was found inside the bowl.

A field test was conducted, and it confirmed that the substance was indeed cocaine.

The substance amounted to almost three kilograms (6.6 pounds). CANU said this quantity of cocaine has a street value of about US$84,000 (G$17.2 million).

Anderson was remanded to prison until March 8, 2022.