Man fined $35M, jailed for four years – over 50-lb cocaine bust

A man was fined $35 million and jailed for four years while his alleged accomplice was refused bail, when they appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton today charged with possession of and trafficking in over 50 pounds of cocaine.

It is alleged that on April 15, at Springlands in Corentyne Berbice, Parsram Persaud and Mohamed Razak were found with 26.978 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Persaud pleaded guilty to the charge, while Razak pleaded not guilty.

Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) officers reportedly swooped down on the two as they were in the process of transferring the prohibited substance, which was valued at $35 million, from one vehicle to another.

While Persaud was fined $35 million along with four years imprisonment, Razak was refused bail and the matter was transferred to the Springlands Magistrates’ Court for April 21.