A 31-year-old New Amsterdam man, who admitted having seven kilos of marijuana in his possession, was sentenced to five years and ordered to pay a $6.5 million fine, when he appeared before Magistrate Krishndat Persaud yesterday.
Chimanlall Budhu, called Ryan Balkarran, an unemployed father of four pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when it was read to him at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Michael Grant told the court that on Monday around 1.50 pm Budhu was an outgoing passenger in a backtrack boat on the Number 78 Foreshore travelling to Suriname. He was intercepted by the officers of the Berbice Anti-smuggling Squad after he was noticed acted in an “agitating” manner.
After noticing his suspicious actions the officers approached Budhu. At the time he was carrying a black back-pack and also had a 20-pound gas cylinder in his possession. The officers checked the bag and it contained two parcels wrapped with scotch-tape. They opened the packets in Budhu’s presence and found leaves, seeds and stems later confirmed as being cannabis.
Budhu, the prosecutor further submitted, was apprehended and taken to the Springlands Police Station and Detective Corporal Thomas examined the gas cylinder and discovered that it was fitted with a false bottom. The gas cylinder was cut open and more cannabis was discovered therein.
The cannabis carries a street value of over $2 million.
Before sentencing the magistrate asked Budhu if he wished to say anything. The defendant then told the court that he was acting as a mule for a drug dealer and it would be dangerous to give the police or court information about that person.
The defendant further indicated, when questioned, that he would have been paid for transporting the narcotic substance on his return to Guyana.
Magistrate Persaud subsequently sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment and levelled him with a $6.5M fine.
