A Vincentian woman, who allegedly attempted to export a quantity of cocaine in several Soya Milk packets at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, was yesterday remanded to prison.

Annesha Joseph pleaded not guilty to the charge of trafficking in narcotics when she

appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. She denied that on February 23, 2010 at the CJIA, she trafficked in a narcotic, by attempting to export 7.42 Kilogrammes of cocaine.

Joseph’s attorney Paul Fung-a-Fat applied for bail for her, on the grounds that she is a mother of two and that the female jail is currently overcrowded.

However, Prosecutor Joel Ricknauth requested that Joseph be remanded to prison and that the matter be transferred to the Providence Magistrates’ Court. He stated that on the day in question, Joseph was an outgoing passenger on a Delta Airline flight. She had checked in her suitcase and as it was passing through the airport’s scanner the milk packets were detected.

Ricknauth further said that Joseph was then summoned and in her presence the milk packets were punctured and the police observed a white substance suspected to be cocaine in it.

The substance was later confirmed as being the narcotic. It was also weighed in Joseph’s presence and she was then told of the offence, cautioned, arrested, and later charged.

The matter was transferred to the Providence Magistrates’ Court for a hearing on March 4.