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Busted drug ring…Wanted Nigerian, cosmetologist refused bail
A Nigerian national and a Guyanese woman were yesterday remanded to jail for allegedly conspiring to post 510 grammes of cocaine via the Georgetown Post Office Corporation (GPOC).
Debbie Barker
The woman, 49-year-old Debbie Barker of South Ruimveldt, a cosmetologist, was arrested by the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) Tuesday and taken to court. It was alleged that the woman tendered a fake identification card and Guyana Power and Light (GPL) bill as evidence of her particulars in order to post the drugs.
They claimed that a Nigerian national had given Barker the documents and drugs, and she was willing to testify against him. The Nigerian has since been implicated in another similar matter. Yesterday before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell, the Nigerian, Paul Atelle, pleaded not guilty to trafficking in narcotics at North Road on January 23. Atelle said he was 42- years- old and he lived at 20 Prashad Nagar, Georgetown. The African national said he was not a resident of Guyana and claimed to be a language translator.
CANU claimed that for over two years they were looking for Atelle. They claimed that he was implicated in other matters, including entering Guyana illegally and that Atelle was engaged in a drug ring where fake documents were made.
Barker was represented by defence lawyer, Mortimer Codette, who renewed his bail application. The lawyer said his client had been manipulated by the influential Nigerian and that she was given the drugs without knowing that it was in the packages she posted.
CANU refuted the lawyer’s application and claimed that Barker made previous arrangements with Atelle to post the drugs. CANU prosecutor, Oswald Massiah, argued that Barker gave Atelle her photo knowing that the man was getting the fake documents for her.
The Magistrate, however, denied bail. She said that no gun was held to Barker’s head. Barker will return to court on February 9 to give evidence against Atelle, while he will be answering the drug possession charges on 13 February.
Paul Atelle
Massiah indicated that it is likely that the police would be instituting charges against Atelle for the fake documents and his illegal entry into Guyana. He also said that at least four witnesses would be testifying in the drug matter and the case would be a speedy one.
CANU head, James Singh, had disclosed that three persons were detained following the discovery of the drugs at GPOC on Monday. Ranks claimed that they had squashed a major bogus ID card ring and possibly a drug smuggling ring.
Following her arrest, Barker had led investigators to a house in Prashad Nagar where Atelle was arrested. Several fake ID cards and passport size photos of persons were found.
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