Women charged over plot to smuggle cocaine in powdered milk

Two women were yesterday charged over the 12.384 kilogrammes of cocaine that one of them allegedly tried to sneak aboard an outgoing flight at the Cheddi Jagan Airport in packets of powdered milk.

Odessa Pollard, 31, of 19 East La Penitence, who had possession of the suitcase in which the drugs were found, was charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking.

Pollard, who is an employee of Qualfon Inc, pleaded not guilty to the charge when she was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown.

The court heard that on November 5th, the mother of two, who was an outgoing passenger on a Caribbean Airlines Flight to Trinidad and Tobago, was searched by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks, who found the cocaine concealed in Kerrygold-brand packets of milk in her suitcase.

Another woman, Kathleen De Florimonte, 51, who is employed as a security guard at the airport, was charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, after she allegedly tried to help Pollard board the flight with the illegal substance.

De Florimonte, of 96 Fifth Avenue Subryanville, also pleaded not guilty.

Both women were remanded to prison until November 13th, when their matters would be heard at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.