Cocaine in boulanger…Woman charged with airport cocaine bust

Dec 10, 2013 News

Nine days after a major drug bust at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the exporter accused of trying to smuggle boulangers stuffed with cocaine out of the country, was yesterday indicted at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for the crime.
Thirty-seven year old Basmati Persaud, called Lolita, made her first court appearance before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry where a charge for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking was read to her.
However, Persaud refuted the allegations of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Branch which claimed that on November 30, she had in her possession 12.330 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Special Prosecutor attached to the Customs Anti Narcotics Branch (CANU), Oswald Massiah, said that for some time the accused who resides at 460 Grass Field, Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, has been engaged in shipping vegetables and fruits to Canada.
Massiah said that Persaud had used a particular licensed exporter to conduct her shipping business but after a while the arrangement ceased due to the fact that the shipper experienced financial difficulties and was off for some while.
The defendant allegedly restarted her business and contacted the man only to be informed that that he was experiencing financial difficulty but according to Massiah she rendered financial assistance so that he could have regained his shipping licence.
The Prosecutor claimed that the business thereafter recommenced and it was during November that the defendant arranged for the shipper to assist her in acquiring a quantity of vegetables to ship to Canada.
Persaud allegedly charged the man to purchase squash and some other vegetables from the Bourda Market while she would have acquired a quantity from markets in Berbice and on the East Coast of Demerara.
Massiah specified that it was Persaud who purchased the boulanger. He said that it was the shipper who would normally transport the items to the airport but on this occasion she insisted that they transported the vegetables separately.
Massiah stated that on November 30, as per the arrangement previously made, the shipper met with Persaud at the airport and they assembled the vegetables to undergo the required pre-shipping process.
The prosecutor maintained that a CANU rank then checked the shipment but at this point the exporter had already fled the scene after paying the shipper.
Massiah informed the court that whilst checking, it was the head of the first boulanger which ‘fell off’ and raised the officer’s suspicion. The officer then checked and noticed that in place of the vegetable’s pulp therein was a transparent plastic bag which contained the substance suspected to be cocaine.
According to the Prosecutor, at this point the shipper was told of the suspicion and the entire shipment was taken to the CANU Headquarters, Eve Leary where the investigations commenced.
Massiah claimed that during the investigations the officers were led to her residence but was unable to contact her. However, after a series of wanted bulletins were issued for the exporter who was allegedly attempting to smuggle the drug to Canada she presented herself at CANU accompanied by a lawyer.
Representing the accused was Defence Attorney Rexford Jackson who requested a trial date since according to him, he is aware of the court’s position on cases of such nature.
The Chief Magistrate transferred the matter to the Providence Magistrate’s Court. Persaud, who is a mother of three, was refused bail and remanded to prison until her next court appearance on December 11.

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