Guyana beauty queen on coke charge in Canada

FORMER Miss Guyana in the Miss Universe contest, Mia Rahaman appeared in a Toronto area court yesterday morning to answer charges related to the importation into Canada of an estimated Cdn $1 million in cocaine. Conviction carries a maximum penalty of life in prison on the federal charges. Ms Rahaman, 23, was taken to the Brampton Court north of Toronto after spending the night in prison. She pleaded not guilty and was remanded into custody pending a bail hearing.

The young beauty was charged early on Wednesday morning after disembarking from an Air Transat flight from Georgetown, Guyana. She was a first-class passenger on the flight. According to Acting Staff Sergeant Gary Harvey of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Rahaman was arrested after a Canada Customs officer noticed what was termed as “suspicious behaviour” on her part on arrival at Pearson International Airport shortly after the flight touched down at 2.30 a.m. “She was referred for a secondary customs inspection at which time a false bottom on her suitcase was discovered,” Sgt. Harvey said. Canada Customs spokesman Mark Butler told Newsday seven kilogrammes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of Cdn. $1 million, was found stashed inside false sides and a false bottom of Rahaman’s suitcase. Smaller quantities of cocaine were also found inside various cosmetics.