Bail refused for former national cyclist fingered in CJIA drug bust

Former national cyclist Tyrone Hamilton on Thursday appeared before Magistrate Nurse at the Diamond Magistrate’s Court on charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Bail was denied, and the case was adjourned to May 16, for disclosure.

Hamilton turned himself over to the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on May 4, after a wanted bulletin was issued for him in relation to a major drug bust at the CJIA on February 22.

The cocaine, weighing 71.2kg and valued at $64 million, was found in two suitcases intended for a British Airways flight.

Meanwhile, another man, Gavin McKie, is still wanted for questioning regarding the bust. McKie’s wife, Jessica McKie, was also arrested but later released.

The wanted bulletins were issued after two men, Travis Sealey, 26, a shift leader attached to the New Timehri Handling Service and Koby Bakker, 20, a ground security coordinator attached to Secure Innovations and Concept, were caught collecting four duffle bags over the airport’s fence. CANU officers observed the exchange and subsequently found 64 brick-like parcels of cocaine in the bags.

CANU said that if the cocaine had arrived at its intended destination in the United Kingdom, the cocaine would have been worth an estimated street value of over £3,000,000 which is equivalent to approximately GY$679 million.