3 in court for $8M in ‘coke’

Ryan Charles, 32, Nicholas Sookoo, 27, and his girlfriend Allison Castillo, 24, all of Maracas, St Joseph, appeared before Senior Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court charged with being in possession of 22.4 kilos of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

They were also charged with being in possession of an Italian-made Baretta nine-millimetre pistol and three rounds of ammunition. Sookoo and Castillo were also charged with being in possession of eight grammes of marijuana.

The three were arrested by a joint police-army patrol on Wrightson Road, Woodbrook on Tuesday. In court yesterday, prosecutor Sgt Harrilal produced 20 packets of cocaine, the gun, ammunition and marijuana. He informed the court that the police seized a white B14 Nissan Sentra which is being kept at the St James Police Station.

The prosecutor also informed the court that Charles was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital around midday on Tuesday. An x-ray examination was carried out and Charles is due to return to the hospital on May 8.

Attorney Evans Welch, who represented Charles, said his client suffered a number of injuries while in police custody. He claimed Charles was beaten, his shoulder dislocated with a possible fracture. He said Charles received blows to his head and was possibly deaf in one ear.

Welch said Charles was in need of further medical attention.

Charles appeared with his left arm in a sling and bruises to the right side of the head. Welch said the police carried out a raid at Charles’ home and said that certain items were missing - a digital camera, three rings, a gold chain, watch and $3,000 cash.

Welch said the occupants of the house were told to go outside during the search. With respect to the missing $3,000, Welch said he has the name of the officer involved, but declined to reveal it in court.

Magistrate Lee Kim got a copy of the medical report and said she had good news. The report showed that Charles suffered no broken bones, nor a dislocated shoulder.

Sgt Harrilal said according to his instructions, the police do not have the missing items. He said the police took away the driver’s permit of one of the accused, but that is to be returned to that person.

With respect to the injuries suffered by Charles, the prosecutor declined to go into details, saying it forms part of the evidence in the case. He said the police had not completed the tracing on the three accused. Magistrate Lee Kim remanded the trio into custody. They are to reappear in court today where the magistrate will deal with the question of bail.