Easton Stapleton, the Jamaican national who tried to mail cocaine hidden in deodorant and paper markers, yesterday told a city court that he had been instructed to smuggle the drugs on board a flight out of the country but he decided to try using the post office instead.
Stapleton, 54, who was charged yesterday with having 526 grammes of cocaine in his possession for trafficking, also said that he had planned to throw the narcotics away but was held by an anti-narcotics agent before he could do so.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and told the court that the officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) told him that if he made a deal with them, they would help him in return.
However, CANU Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford-Thompson told the court that CANU made no deals with Stapleton and that he was begging for a deal. The prosecutor said that Stapleton should clarify to the court what the deal was that CANU allegedly offered him.
According to Sandiford-Thompson, Stapleton had gone to the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) and inquired about the process to post a package. He was then told by the clerk that his package would have to be checked by a CANU officer.
Sandiford-Thompson said when Stapleton heard that the package was going to be checked, he picked up his box and attempted to leave. However, a CANU officer pursued him and escorted him back to the CANU office. The prosecutor said that the box the accused had in his possession was then searched and the drugs were found in paper markers and roll-on deodorant.
When Stapleton was given a chance to speak, he told the magistrate that someone called him and told him to uplift a package in the bathroom at the airport. He added that he was told that he was to take the package with him on his flight out of the country. However, according to the man, he was determined not to go on the plane with the package and so he decided that he would mail it instead. Stapleton said that he did not get through with mailing the box since the clerk at the GPOC told him that he needed proof of address to post a package. He said that when he left the post office, he had every intention of throwing away the package but the CANU officer caught up with him, took him back to the office and demanded to search the package.
Stapleton maintained that CANU told him that if he pleaded guilty and helped them find the persons who sent him the drugs, they would help him in return.
The magistrate subsequently remanded Stapleton to jail and adjourned the proceedings until August 15, when he is to be sentenced.
