$4.8M fine plus jail time for Drug smuggler

By Leroy Smith

Berkeley Fernandes of 236 South Sophia, was moments ago remanded to prison for three years and ordered to pay a fine of $4.833M for attempting to smuggle cocaine out of Guyana.

The court heard that the 47-year-old man who works as a painter told the court that he was aware that he was ferrying cocaine for someone, but that he was under pressure to do so, wanted the money and decided to take the job.

The man said he was promised US$2500 to take the cocaine to a person in the United states.

The cocaine which was found concealed in Banko Wine bottles was tested and weighed approximately 1.790 Kilos.

He was intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) as he attempted to smuggle the illegal substance out of Guyana. On the day of the incident, he placed his bag on the container scanner and a female Customs Officer observed that the contents in the bottle had an unusual appearance. Fernandes was pulled over and his items searched in his presence.

It was there that law enforcers found that he had concealed in the bottle, illegal substance.

He was promptly detained and the investigations commenced.