Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday ordered that a 34-year-old Linden man pay a fine of $8,924,400 and serve four years jail when he appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court for attempting to export a quantity of cocaine to the US in baking powder packets.

Edward Shaka Martin of Mc Kenzie, Linden, pleaded guilty to the charge of trafficking in narcotics.

He admitted that yesterday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, he trafficked in  narcotics by trying to export 9.916 kilogrammes of cocaine.

Special Prosecutor Oswald Massiah from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) stated that early yesterday morning at the CJIA, CANU ranks intercepted Martin with the cocaine in his suitcase shortly before he boarded a flight en route to the US.

The prosecutor stated that Martin had checked in at the airport with two suitcases with padlocks on them and  as they were passing through the scanner a CANU officer observed strange packages in both suitcases.

As a result Martin was summoned and he identified the suitcases as his and provided the keys to the padlocks.

Upon opening the suitcase the CANU officers found five packages marked baking powder in each suitcase and when these packages were punctured the substance that was taken out was suspected to be cocaine.

Massiah stated that the substance found was weighed and confirmed as being cocaine in Martin’s presence.

He said that Martin was then told of the offence, cautioned and arrested. Martin then admitted orally to the offence. He was subsequently charged.

Martin, who was unrepresented in court, declined to say anything when asked by the magistrate before she imposed the sentence.

Wearing a distressed expression  Martin was escorted out of the court.