Guyanese busted with cocaine at JFK

TIMES INT'L

A Guyanese who managed to smuggle five kilograms of cocaine through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri was busted with the drugs when he arrived at the JFK Airport in New York.

Samuel Prashad, a U.S.-based Guyanese was intercepted at the JFK Airport on Sunday after he disembarked a Caribbean Airlines Flight. During standard routine checks, it was discovered that the man’s suitcase, though emptied, was still heavy which led to further checks during which the cocaine was unearthed in false bottoms and the sides of the suitcase.

Prashad Tuesday appeared before a Federal Court and was placed on US$ 100,000 bail.

Sources at the Custom Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) in Guyana are trying to ascertain where the breach occurred. However, CANU head James Singh recently reiterated that security at various ports still remains a challenge and the unit has to step up its game in order to fight the battle against drug trafficking.

In a recent interview, Singh said: “It is always felt that the state has the responsibility to find the drugs, and as such, in examining our strategy – both the units and the task force, it is better to work with these guys to improve their own security and get them to be the tail end.” He further noted that CANU is not asking companies to go and find the drugs, but are asking them to ensure that their systems are a bit more rigid with no loopholes.”If you have strong police at major ports and also at the lesser ports, it makes these guys scared,” Singh noted.

The CANU boss disclosed that the key to fighting the narcotics trade is to make it difficult, expensive and increase the risk. At the end of the day, he highlighted, drug trafficking is a business and the traffickers stand to make money if the risk is lower, but if the risk is increased, the trafficker stands to make less money.

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