Two years jail, $99.7M fine for drug traffickers

Two Essequibo residents have been sentenced to two years imprisonment and slapped with a $99.7M fine each after they were found guilty of trafficking over 94 kilograms of cocaine on-board a vessel in the Pomeroon River in 2017.

John DaSilva known as Martin, a 47-year-old farmer of Grant Strong Hope, Lower Pomeroon, Region Two and Kevin Fitz Gordon, 36, of Jim Housing Scheme, Essequibo were on trial before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

On Monday, they were found guilty of the charge which read that on July 17, 2017, in the Pomeroon River, they trafficked 94.954 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

Gordon was not in court during the ruling and was sentenced in absentia. He has to present himself to the Aranka Police Station.

According to reports, DaSilva and Gordon were intercepted while heading to Georgetown on a vessel. The court heard that they tried to escape after seeing the Coast Guard.

They were intercepted about four miles off the mouth of the Pomeroon River. The men, vessel and suspected narcotics were handed over to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

Gordon was previously charged and placed before the court in 2015 for the possession of 1.0854 kg of cocaine.

He was acquitted of the charge but in June 2017, he was arrested by CANU for the possession of a large quantity of US currency and handed over to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).