CANU officer testifies in trial of women charged with aiding, trafficking cocaine

Feb 08, 2019 News

The trial involving two women who are charged with trafficking and aiding with the trafficking of cocaine, yesterday continued in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
It is alleged that on September 15, 2018 Shellon Barrow, 35, of 35 Victoria Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, had in her possession 1.638 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.
It was further alleged that Christine Griffith, 37, of Pike Street, Kitty, between September 14 and September 15, 2018 at the Sunset Hotel, Georgetown, delivered the suitcase containing the illicit drug to Barrow.
Both women pleaded not guilty to the charge on their first court appearance and have since been on remand for the offence.
Yesterday, when the matter was called in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Faith McGusty, a Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officer went into the witness box where she told the court the role she played in the investigation.
The officer told the court she is stationed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) as the supervisor in charge.
She added that around 00:29 hrs she was performing duties at the airport at the baggage check-in scanner for Fly Jamaica flight OJ262 destined for JFK International.
It was then she saw Barrow approaching the scanner with a suitcase. She instructed her to place her suitcase onto the baggage scanner. While the suitcase was on the scanner, the officer was looking at the monitor and she observed two square objects inside the suitcase.
The officer added that based on her suspicion she requested further examinations be conducted on the suitcase, hence it was pulled off the scanner.

CHARGED Shellon Barrow and Christine Griffith

The officer then took possession of Barrow passport.
The court heard the suitcase was then placed on a search table for examination. During the examination a quantity of clothing, soaps and sanitary napkins were removed from inside the suitcase in Barrow presence.
The empty suitcase was then placed on the scanner for the second time; however, the two square objects were still seen on the monitor.
This observation forced the officer to puncture inside the back wall of the suitcase using a probe (screwdriver) in the presence of Barrow.
The witness told the court that after probing the suitcase she observed a whitish substance on the probe.
She explained to Barrow that a field test will have to be conducted to ascertain if the whitish substance in the suitcase was cocaine.
A field test was then conducted in Barrow’s presence which revealed that the whitish substance was indeed cocaine.
The officer went on to tell the court that after the whitish substance tested positive for cocaine, she showed it to Barrow, then cautioned her in accordance to the judge’s rule. She said that Barrow immediately blurted ” I buy the suitcase from a woman and I pay $3,500.”
She was then arrested and taken into custody, and charged for the offence.
According to information, on the day in question, Barrow was intercepted while attempting to board a flight with the suspected cocaine concealed in a false wall of her hard cover suitcase.
While in custody, she implicated Griffith telling the CANU officers that she was given the drugs by her. The court heard that there is a video footage from the hotel showing the drop off between Griffith and Barrow.
The matter is being prosecuted by CANU Prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford.

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