Cocaine in fish glue
Man pleads guilty, gets eight years -three others remanded
Stabroek News
May 18, 2007
A man who was found in a home at Enterprise, East Coast Demerara with $100 million worth in cocaine contained in fish glue was yesterday sentenced to eight years in prison by Prin- cipal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle after he admitted to the offence and three others were remanded.
Chandrika Chattergoon, called Percy, 27, of 185 Charlotte Street Enterprise, East Coast Demerara pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Vishnu Bridgelall, called 'Haffa', 45, of 90 Second Street, Alberttown, Thakoor Persaud, called 'Thaks', 32, of Lot K Soesdyke and Azad Khan, called Waqar, 32, of 6 Madewini, East Bank Demerara pleaded not guilty to the same offences.
The magistrate sentenced Chattergoon to four years each on the two matters to run consecutively. She also fined him $10,000 on each charge even after his attorney Anil Nandlall made a plea of mitigation saying that he was a product of a broken marriage who fell prey to certain elements that are prevalent in the society.
It is alleged that the four men on May 16 at Charlotte Street, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara had 86.5 kg of cocaine and an additional 20 kg of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. According to reports the bust was the largest in recent times in the country where 106.5 kilogrammes of cocaine said to be worth $100 million was stashed in dried fish. Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit officers (CANU) also seized a quantity of scissors, rolling pins, knives, a gas cylinder and stove and the mesh, which the fish was placed on to dry.
According to the case as it related to Chattergoon and read by CANU prosecutor Oswald Massiah, on the date in question at 12:30 pm a group of CANU officers went to a home at Enterprise where Chattergoon was met in the yard. Massiah stated that there was a one-flat building and the defendant accompanied the officers to the upstairs where a search was carried out and in the middle bedroom the illegal substance was found in four carton boxes.
He added that the home has three bedrooms and during a further search in the yard they found on three wire mesh dryers used for drying fish a quantity of fish glue. This he said was checked and concealed inside was another set of cocaine which amounted to 20 kg. The first set in the room amounted to 86.5 kg.
Chattergoon told the court "I agree with what the prosecutor said, these men came to buy the fish glue they did not know about the cocaine."
Attorneys-at-law Nandlall and Euclin Gomes represented Chattergoon and Azad Khan. While attorneys-at-law Sanjeev Datadin represented Bridgelall and Mark Waldron together with Vic Puran represented Persaud.
According to Nandlall, Chattergoon lives at the home where the cocaine was found. The attorney said his client came from a broken home and grew up with his mother and paternal care for a male child was absent. He added that his client has always been involved in the export of fish and was clearly overcome and found himself in the present position. He added that Chattergoon was never charged before, only had a primary education and has accepted responsibility for what he has done. He stated that Chattergoon did not waste the court's time and he asked that the magistrate be lenient and impose the shortest possible term of imprisonment. Speaking about Khan the attorney said that he was a chicken farmer who was involved in a common law relationship, has two children and was the sole breadwinner for his family. He stated that Khan was only visiting the village of Enterprise and decided to drop in and visit a friend when the CANU officers raided. He added that considering that Chattergoon accepted responsibility for the crime, Khan should be granted bail. He added also that the premises was one where several persons had access.
Puran stated that Persaud is a father of four who works as a labourer and who gave a statement to CANU. He added that his client was merely employed as a porter who worked for one of the other defendants and had only gone to fetch fish glue. The attorney said that the fact that Chattergoon pleaded guilty means there is a guilty principle and therefore under the law the prosecutor is obliged to produce evidence of acting in concert.
The cocaine he said was concealed in a room which Chattergoon had the keys to and he requested bail.
CANU prosecutor Massiah responding to the attorney's submission stated that Chattergoon's guilty plea did not exonerate the other three men. He added that when the time comes he will talk about whether the men acted in concert. Before Chattergoon was sentenced he had asked the magistrate to consider the quantum of the substance and that although she may not be inclined to give the maximum sentence she should not give the minimum. He objected to bail for the other men.
The magistrate after sentencing Chattergoon remanded the other men and transferred their case to the Vigilance Magistrate's Court for May 24. After delivering the sentence supporters of the men were left stunned at the eight-year sentence and remained aghast even after the magistrate came off the bench.