– parents could not control him in the US, court told

The US-based Guyanese juvenile, who was held at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, allegedly with some seven kilogrammes (kg) of cocaine yesterday pleaded not guilty to trafficking in narcotics when he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on February 18, the 16-year-old boy had in his possession 7.413 kg of cocaine that he was attempting to export.

The cocaine was allegedly stashed in a bag that contained only a teddy bear and cloth. He was subsequently remanded into police custody. His attorney Glen Hanoman made an application for bail to be granted on the grounds that his client fell within the special circumstances bracket because of his age.

According to Hanoman, his client is classified as a young person under the Narcotics Act. Additionally, the lawyer said that his client was not a flight risk as the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) had seized his passport and as such “he would not be able to travel in any case.” He also pointed out to the court that the defendant was living with two responsible aunts here in Guyana who would ensure that he returns to court.  However, CANU Prosecutor Oswald Massiah objected to bail. While he did not dispute that the Narcotics Act treats juveniles as falling within the bracket of “special circumstances,” he pointed out to the court that the large amount of the illegal substance involved, has to be taken into consideration.

Massiah further stated that investigations had revealed that the juvenile had been sent back to Guyana by his parents in the United States because they were finding it difficult to control him.

He told the court, “if it is hard for his own parents to control him then it would be an even greater challenge for his aunts to control him….”  The prosecutor also stated that the boy’s parents and family here in Guyana were not even aware that he had been travelling back to the US.

The teenager was subsequently refused bail and his matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrate’s Court for February 24.