Trial of man accused of trafficking cocaine in Banko Wine, baking powder continues

Jun 04, 2017 News

---

The trial of convicted drug trafficker, Dennis Albert Jones, who is accused of attempting to smuggle 22 pounds of cocaine via the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) continued Friday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that on January 20, at the GPOC, Jones, 63, of Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Jones had 10.618 kilogrammes (23 pounds) of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is on remand.
According to reports, Jones was arrested shortly after he attempted to ship cocaine in baking powder and Banko wine to Toronto, Canada. Ranks from the Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) intercepted a box containing the prohibited substance.
CANU Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford called Donald Barry, an employee at the GPOC to testify. Barry faced cross-examination by Eusi Anderson, Attorney-at-Law for Jones.
Barry told the court that on the day in question, he reported for work at 07:00hrs and that there were some parcels on the ground in a restricted area waiting to be packed.
The witness said that he witnessed the packing of mail going out of Guyana and the postman affixing certain seals on the mail bags. Barry however could not recall the colour of the bags the mail was packed into.
“A mail bag is a very strong polythene bag and most of the time they are bags that come from the US. Most of them roughly hold about 35 pounds.”
He explained that mail bags also come in a 20-pound capacity.
According to Barry, the bags come in red, blue and light green but can also vary depending on the port of entry.
The witness explained that mail is packed into a concrete cage which is surrounded by BRC metal. The door of the cages is also made of British Retail Consortium (BRC) mesh and consists of three locks.
When further questioned by Anderson, Donald related that there have never been any instances of the BRC mesh being vandalized.
At an April 12, court hearing Deoraj Gobidand, a staffer of 28 years at the GPOC, testified to performing duties at the Acceptance Office Parcel Branch at the post office on January 18.
This section, he explained, deals with bulky packages that have to be examined by CANU and Customs. The witness recounted that Jones visited the post office around 07:55hrs and requested for a box to be posted via “express” services.
”There were three of us in the room—myself, a customs officer and a CANU officer. I asked Mr. Jones for his proof of address and identification card which he gave to me along with a brown carton box.”
When asked by Prosecutor Sandiford if he knew Jones, Gobidand replied in the affirmative and told the court that the man would usually visit the post office to transact business.
The witness explained that the box weighed12.2 kilograms (27 pounds). The staffer said, “I calculated the price for the weight of the box which was $30,500 for shipping. I collected the money and documented it on a form.”
Gobidand went on to say that the box was handed over to the CANU and Customs officers for examination. He said that he was then given directives from the officers to seal the box and wrap it entirely with transparent scotch tape.
The witness recounted that he documented the transaction in his ledger and affixed the appropriate postage value stamp on the box which was addressed to Michelle Wilson of Toronto, Canada. According to the witness, neither he nor anyone in his presence tampered with the contents of the box.
Also testifying was Avinash Patterson, the Operations Manager at the GPOC.
Prosecutor Sandiford contended that there was overwhelming evidence against Jones, who was sentenced to four years imprisonment in 2012 for trafficking some cocaine in soap powder.
Based on reports, Jones was busted after he attempted to ship the cocaine to an African state.
The prosecutor had disclosed that there was video surveillance footage from the GPOC and that when police ranks went to Jones’s home to arrest him he was found hiding in the ceiling.
Reports also indicate that Jones was deported from the United States of America for drug trafficking.
Jones is also facing forgery charges, whereby it is alleged that between September 1 and 30, 2016, with intent to defraud; he forged a Republic of Guyana identification card in the name of Josiah Jones, purporting to show that same was issued by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The police prosecutor is contending that the identification card was found in Jones’s home and that he confessed to forging the document. It was also noted by the prosecutor that GECOM has no record of issuing that identification card.

---

---