Mom gets three years for cocaine at CJIA

Jul 06, 2018 News

A single mother of two who was nabbed while attempting to smuggle a quantity of cocaine via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, (CJIA) Timehri last Monday, was yesterday sentenced to three years imprisonment.
A teary Natasha Blair, 37, a cosmetologist of 92 Grove/Diamond, East Bank Demerara, admitted to ingesting and inserting a total of 532 grams of cocaine, when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
When asked by the Magistrate if she has anything to say, an emotional Blair stated “I’m very sorry for what I did and I’m sorry for putting my children and family through this. I did it to provide for my children.”
According to the allegation, on July 2, last at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, she attempted to smuggle cocaine pellets, which she ingested and inserted in her vagina, onto an ongoing flight bound for New York.
Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford, told the court that Blair who was travelling with an 11-month old baby was scheduled to board Caribbean Airlines flight BW726 destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport.
It was reported that when Blair checked in her luggage at Caribbean Airline counter, a CANU rank acting on information, approached her and informed her of his suspicion that she had ingested and inserted narcotics. She denied.
As a result, Blair was cautioned and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where an x-ray was conducted. It revealed foreign objects in her stomach and pelvic area.
The prosecutor told the court that the woman was admitted at the institution and during the period of July 2 and July 4 she excreted a total of 32 pellets.
It was disclosed that the pellets found in the woman stomach weighed 322 grams while the object in her pelvic area weighed 210 grams.
The prosecutor added that while at the hospital, the woman made several oral statements indicating that she was trafficking the narcotics to take care of her two young children.
Sandiford went on to tell the court that based on additional information received from the woman, further investigation into the matter is ongoing.
The woman’s lawyer, Keoma Griffith, in mitigation for his client asked the Chief Magistrate to take into consideration that the single mother took a difficult risk to provide for her children.
Magistrate McLennan after listening to the both sides sentenced the woman to three years’ imprisonment and fined her $1.1M.
This publication was informed that CANU is now searching for the father of the woman’s child, Sherwin Stoby, also known as Kong. His last known address was 87 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown.
Anyone knowing his whereabouts is asked to contact CANU on 592-227-3507.

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