A teenaged mother of a 10-month-old baby was among four persons remanded to prison on Thursday for trafficking in narcotics. The quartet appeared at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh.
Lilwattie Sookram, called Babita, 51, a vendor of Rose Hall and Sherifa Ali, 18, a mother of a 10-month-old baby, both of Lot 113 New Market Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice – along with Delcon Potter, called “Kartel”, 39, of Lot 1 Glasgow, East Bank Berbice (EBB) and Rajin Saloop, called “Terrence”, 32, of Edinburgh, EBB – pleaded not guilty to the charge of trafficking.
They are accused of trafficking in excess of 2.5 kilograms of marijuana.
It is alleged that on June 19, the two females were observed with a bulky multi-coloured shopping bag, acting in a suspicious manner while standing on Strand, New Amsterdam.
A search was carried out, and a transparent plastic containing a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis was found. When weighed, they amounted to 2.7 kg.
Police Prosecutor Phouene Simpson told the court that the two females confessed in a statement which was videorecorded, stating that they received the bag from one of the now-arrested men.
The women are being represented by Attorney Rian Crawford while the men are being represented by Attorney Stacy Goodings.
Crawford told the court that the women received a sealed package and did not know what was in it.
On the other hand, Goodings told the court that her clients did not know the two women, noting that the Police are claiming that the drug was found on Strand, New Amsterdam while her clients were arrested at their private homes.
However, the Prosecutor told the court that during the confession, the females told the Police that it was Potter, who gave them the package. The Prosecutor said that Potter also confessed during a video-recorded interview that he collected the package from Saloop to drop it off to the women.
The matter has been transferred to the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court and continues today.
