Trini goes on trial for trafficking ‘coke’

A 26-year-old Trinidadian will go on trial in England today charged with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United Kingdom. Raymond Habib will face a jury at the Islesworth Crown Court in Middlesex, not too far from Heathrow International Airport where he was arrested last March with another Trinidadian Peter Laquis after they landed on a flight from Trinidad. The trial will be a very short one and is expected to be completed tomorrow. After the jury is selected this morning, the Crown will present its case by calling its witnesses. One of the witnesses will be the Customs officer who stopped Habib in the baggage area of Terminal Three at Heathrow Airport. That is the same officer who reportedly searched Habib’s luggage and allegedly found the two kilos of cocaine. After the prosecution closes its case, it will be Habib’s turn to make his defence. After the defence closes its case, both the prosecutor and defence attorney, Guyana-born Tom Kharran will address the jury before the trial judge sums up the case to the jury.

Under the British system, the jury has two hours in which to return a verdict. The judge will accept an unanimous or majority verdict. Habib and another Trinidadian, Peter Laquis, 19, were arrested after they disembarked from BWIA Flight 900 in March. Both young men were charged with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United Kingdom. An application for bail was made for both men when they appeared before a Lay Magistrate at the Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court near to Heathrow Airport in March and again in April. The magistrate turned down the applications and ordered that both Trinidadians be detained in custody pending their trial.

Laquis and Habib were detained at the Feltham Remand Centre in Middlesex as the prosecution moved to ensure a speedy trial using the paper committal route. However, in reviewing their files, the prosecution realised that they had no evidence against Laquis. They found out that although Laquis had travelled with Habib, there was no evidence to suggest that he had the cocaine. Despite forensic tests carried out on Laquis’ luggage, nothing was found to incriminate the teenager. As a result, prison officials served Laquis with a notice of discontinuance at the Feltham Remand Centre. The conspiracy to import cocaine charge was dropped and Laquis was sent back to Trinidad.