Businesswoman found guilty of trafficking cocaine

City Magistrate Dylon Bess on Friday found a 35-year-old businesswoman guilty of trafficking over five pounds of cocaine in 2017.

Joy Jacqueline Caines, who owns a boutique, was convicted for having 2.092 kilograms of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking on April 16, 2017.

However, Magistrate Bess adjourned sentencing until March 27, 2020 and ordered that a probation report be prepared for Caines.

Caines will remain out on bail on the condition that she reports to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) Headquarters every Monday until sentencing.

On April 16, 2017, a 57-year-old woman was arrested at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with almost two kilograms of cocaine in her suitcase.

After the woman was arrested at the airport, she implicated Caines as the person who gave her the illegal substance.

When CANU ranks visited Caines’ house, they found an empty suitcase with false walls that contained cocaine; the illegal substance was also found in the kitchen and on the stove.

Additionally, a large quantity of cash, amounting to $14.5M and other foreign currency were also found inside Caines’ house.