$15,000 fine for cocaine

A 41-year-old man of Barrackpore was convicted for the possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking on Friday and was fined $15,000 or imprisonment of 24 months with hard labour by a Princes Town magistrate. Michael Jack, a mason of Battan Trace, who opted to do the case on his own, pleaded not guilty as he stood before First Court Senior Magistrate, Indrani Cedeno.

The magistrate found Jack guilty of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and ordered that he pay $5,000 forthwith.  He was given three months to pay the remainder or in default, serve 24 months with hard labour. The court heard that on July 19, 2002, PC Rabin-dranath Maharaj, of the Barrackpore Police Station, was on patrol along the Cumuto Road in Barrackpore about 6 pm when he saw Jack acting in a suspicious manner. Jack was confronted and searched. The officer found in his possession 15 grammes of cocaine along with $15 stacked away in a black plastic bag. Jack was subsequently arrested and taken to the Barrackpore Police Station where he was charged with the offence.