U.S man sentenced to 5 years in jail for 40lb cocaine bust, fined $49M

U.S man sentenced to 5 years in jail for 40lb cocaine bust, fined $49M

The American citizen who was busted on Friday at the Cheddi Jagan Airport with 40 pounds of cocaine in  baking powder and custard powder packets has pleaded guilty to  the drug trafficking charge.

The  man who has been identified as Tanasha Fleming was slapped with a 5 year sentence after his guilty plea when he appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday morning. Additionally, he was fined $49.3 Million.

The bust was made by the Narcotics Branch of the Guyana Police Force which is based at the airport.

Security at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport has been stepped up in an effort to nab narco traffickers following four recent cases in which persons were able to beat the security at the Cheddi Jagan Airport and travel all the way to New York with cocaine in their bags.

US Agents busted the four persons who arrived there on separate flights over a two-week period. In those busts in the US, cocaine was found in rum, flour bags, milk tins, books and plastic bags.

Senior Law Enforcement officials believe that there may be some effort to continuously penetrate the security at the Guyana Airport. Guyana has been named by the US State Department as a drug transhipment point for cocaine headed to North America and Europe.

 

Filed: 8th December, 2014

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