A United States citizen was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison after he admitted to trying to smuggle just over half a kilo of cocaine onto a flight to New York.
Reuben Lam, 27, pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of cocaine for trafficking when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Georgetown.
The charge stated that on April 16, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, Lam had 592 grammes of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.
According to police prosecutor Bharat Mangru, it was ranks from the anti-narcotics branch who intercepted two suitcases belonging to Lam, who was booked as a passenger on a Caribbean Airlines flight destined for New York.
Mangru said the ranks’ suspicions were aroused during the scanning of the suitcases. This prompted a search, which unearthed several plastic parcels taped to the top and bottom walls of the two suitcases. The substance found in the parcels was tested and was later confirmed to be cocaine, which amounted to 592 grammes and carried a street value of $532,800. Lam, Mangru added, told the officers, “This is my stuff. I just trying to make some money.”
When the Chief Magistrate enquired if Lam had anything to say on his behalf, he replied, “I’m a security guard. I’m just a poor man trying to make some dollars.”
After a few minutes of deliberation, the magistrate sentenced Lam to three years in prison and fined him $1,598,400, which is three times the street value of the cocaine.
