Boat captain gets five years for cocaine in gas cylinders

Feb 01, 2019 News

Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool yesterday sentenced boat captain, Damion Williams to five years’ imprisonment and fined him $136M, while taxi driver, Vaughn Anderson, walked out of court a free man on a joint charge of trafficking of narcotics.

Jailed: Damion Williams

It is alleged that Williams, 34, of Better Hope and Anderson, 30, of Boodhoo Housing Scheme, on December 24, 2017, at Boodhoo Housing Scheme, had in their possession 65.027 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The cocaine was concealed in several gas cylinders.
Both men had pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them on their first court appearance.
Yesterday the Magistrate ruled that, after going through the evidence of Anderson, she believed his testimony when he said he had no knowledge of the narcotics, since he was only hired to transport the gas cylinders to the boat captain.
However, she noted that Williams’ testimony to the court differed from the statement he gave officers when he was arrested. She added that throughout the trial Williams was trying to distance himself from the narcotics while trying to implicate his co-accused.
The State’s case was prosecuted by Inspector George Matthew.

Freed: Vaughn Anderson

According to a police report, an intelligence-led operation conducted by ranks of the Force’s Narcotics Branch on Christmas Eve led to Anderson’s arrest.
Police said the operation was conducted between 14:00 to 16:30hrs, and that the drug was found in Anderson’s car trunk concealed in a gas cylinder.
In the suspect’s presence, the enforcement officials, who were commanded by a Gazetted Officer, cut open the cylinder and found the illicit substance.
Anderson had told the ranks that the gas bottle belonged to Williams, and that he had hired him.
A confrontation was held between the men and the police, at which point Williams admitted to receiving the cylinder from a Spanish man to transport from Parika to Georgetown.

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