AC technicians with cocaine in rum bottles

Jun 19, 2016 News

From Air Conditioning technicians to drug mules, the recent jail sentences given to two former airport

Keon Brewster

AC technicians for trafficking cocaine in El Dorado 5 year-old rum should be a wake-up call for those thinking of joining the drug trade. But then again, it might not be.

Despite the wide publicity of the lengthy sentences and multi-million-dollar fines being given to convicted drug traffickers, the number of persons, primarily young people, being sent to prison for narcotic-related offences appears to be on the rise.
However, while is it easy to have sympathy for some of these persons who are sent to prison for these offences some of them are in full knowledge that it is against the law to use, cultivate, possess and traffic narcotics and the penalties awaiting if they get caught.
Chris Douglas, 26, of Timehri, East Bank Demerara and Loric Williams, 24, of Lot 57 Prospect, East Bank Demerara were jailed for four years each and fined $17,020,800 respectively after they were found guilty on a drug trafficking charge on May 30.
The men had assisted American citizen, Keon Brewster, with stashing the drug in his luggage.
It was 6.34KG of cocaine that Brewster was attempting to take out of the country. Also, he was said to be the mastermind behind the drug deal gone wrong.
Douglas and Williams were at the time employed as AC technicians at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Timehri.

Loric Williams

Court facts revealed that Brewster was scheduled to travel to the USA on May 29, last.
Airport officials discovered three bottles of El Dorado 5-year-old rum in his hand luggage and decided to perform routine checks on the bottles after the contents appeared peculiar.
The substance in the bottles proved positive for cocaine. A revision of CCTV footage from the airport by police showed the men leaving the washroom acting in a suspicious manner.
After Brewster was arrested by police he later implicated Douglas and Williams. Police were also able to obtain a confession from the men in relation to the drug bust.
A probation report was presented in court before the men were sentenced. The report revealed that Douglas and Williams were very respectable in their communities and place of employment.
According to the probation report, news of the men’s involvement in the crime left villagers shocked. Some even suggested that Williams might have been influenced by the wrong company.
In the probation report, Douglas maintained his innocence and said that he regretted being at the upper level of the airport lounge on the day in question.
Douglas graduated with five CSEC subjects from the Tutorial High School. However, Williams was unable to complete secondary school due to financial constraints in his family.
But it was highlighted that both young men were able to pursue courses in Air Conditioning and were

Chris Douglas

successful which led to them being gainfully employed.
The report also pointed out that Douglas’ mother was astonished when her son was charged as he never socialized. It also stated that the woman who is battling breast cancer is dependent on her son physically and financially.
On their first appearance before a Magistrate they all maintained their innocence. However, on his second appearance, Brewster opted to plead guilty and stated that the drug belonged to him and that ne no longer wanted to waste the courts’ time.
This ‘B’ Field Sophia resident was also jailed for four years and fined $17, 020,800 on June 29, 2016.
The testimonies given to the court by Douglas and Williams in their defence were described as “unbelievable” and “fanciful” by the trial Magistrate who underscored that their stories only strengthened the prosecution’s case.