4 years jail, $2.3M fine for man in Norton St cocaine bust; paralysed co-accused gets $150k bail

A 26-year-old weeder man was on Thursday sentenced to four years imprisonment and slapped with a $2.3 million fine while his paralysed co-accused was released on $150,000 bail over Norton Street, Georgetown cocaine bust.

Akeem Lashley and Andre Clarke were hauled before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The charge against the duo is that on August 8, 2022, at Norton Street, Georgetown, they had 1.5 kilograms of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Lashley pleaded guilty while Clarke denied the charge. Clarke’s Attorney-at-law, Adrian Thompson, asked for bail owing to his client’s medical condition.

As a result, Magistrate Mc Lennan released Clarke on $150,000 bail and adjourned the matter to September 5, 2022.

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) had reported that ranks went to the location where Clarke, a “known drug trafficker,” resides.

A search of the premises led to the discovery of four parcels containing suspected cocaine.

Clarke, along with four persons, including a Police Sergeant, was present on the premises during the search.

The quintet was arrested and escorted to CANU’s Headquarters with the suspected narcotics. The drugs later tested positive for cocaine and had a street value of $1.5 million.

Clarke was arrested in 2011 after CANU ranks conducted an operation at his home and discovered 590 grams of cocaine buried in the ground and covered with sand.

He was charged with trafficking in narcotics, but in February 2012, the matter was dismissed.