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CANU Head disappointed at discharge of trio in Barry Dataram cocaine case
– Says evidence against them was overwhelming
Head of the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit, James Singh, has expressed dissatisfaction in the court decision which allowed three persons charged jointly with convicted drug trafficker Barry Dataram, to walk free.
As a consequence, the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit has appealed the decision.
Yesterday, Mr Singh said that he was very disappointed at the outcome of the case given the overwhelming evidence against all the persons accused in the matter.
The CANU Head also confirmed that the local ranks have been working with international colleagues to track down Dataram who is said to have since fled Guyana to neighbouring Suriname.
Barry Dataram, a self confessed drug lord, was found guilty and jailed for trafficking in cocaine on Tuesday. He was also asked to pay a hefty fine of $164M.
His former co-accused among whom were his reputed wife Anjanie Boodnarine, and their friends Trevor Gouveia and Komal Charran, were freed of the charges.
The four persons had been jointly charged for having 129.23kg of cocaine in their possession on April 16, 2015 for the purpose of trafficking.
However, only Gouveia and Chandan showed up to hear the ruling by Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday.
Neither Dataram nor his wife was present at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court when the sentence was handed down.
Dataram, a Guyana-born American, had successfully fought off efforts to extradite him to the United States of America to face drug smuggling charges.
Barry Dataram
Law enforcement authorities had confirmed that the man had travelled out of Guyana on false documents. The authorities are however, unsure whether his reputed wife had travelled with him.
Dataram, also known as ‘Mogotani’, or Kevin Dataram, of 13 Vriesland, West Bank Demerara; his reputed wife, Anjanie Boodnarine, 19, of 79 Patentia, Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara; Komal Charran, 20, of 265 Belle West, West Bank Demerara; and Trevor Gouveia of Best Village, West Coast Demerara, had all pleaded not guilty to a drug trafficking charge.
According to the allegation, on April 16, last, at 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara, they allegedly had 129.23 kg of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The couple was arrested at their Lot 661 Fourth Avenue, Block X Diamond, East Bank Demerara residence.
On the day in question, ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) swooped down on the house and conducted a search in the presence of the defendants. During the search they unearthed the illicit drug.
It was reported that some of the cocaine was stuffed in frozen seafood, while the remainder was found to be bricks of raw coke.
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