A SEPTUAGENARIAN woman, prevented from travelling abroad several days ago, was remanded to prison yesterday on a drug trafficking charge. Sixty-three-year-old Bhagwantie Seepaul, of 90 Shuter Street, Ontario, Canada, appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and pleaded not guilty to having, on December 25, trafficked in 3.058 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Special Prosecutor Oswald Massiah said the defendant has lived in Canada for 45 years and was due to obtain her Canadian citizenship shortly.
He said Seepaul, also known as Shirley, Mary and Yvonne, arrived in Guyana on December 15 and went to Berbice where relatives did not expect her.
The Prosecutor said the woman informed CANU ranks that she returned to Georgetown on December 24 and was at the Berbice car park, when a man, whose only name she gave as Alex, invited her to stay at a Parfaite Harmonie hotel, on West Bank Demerara.
Massiah said the defendant related that the, following day, Alex took her to Georgetown, transferred her to another vehicle and gave her packages to send for someone in Canada.
The prosecutor said when Seepaul arrived at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the scanner detected something suspicious and a search was conducted on her suitcase. A test was also done and it confirmed that the woman was carrying cocaine.
Massiah said some of the cocaine was in custard powder packets and more was found at the bottom of a Lala’s Curry Powder tin.
The Prosecutor said, when the passenger was questioned, she provided no useful information about Alex and was subsequently charged.
Seepaul, who claimed she came to Guyana to visit a sick cousin, will remain incarcerated until January 8, 2013.
The magistrate explained to her that bail could be granted only if there were special reasons.