No bail for 5 in airport larceny case

FIVE PERSONS appeared before an Arima magistrate yesterday charged with stealing a large container from the Piarco International Airport. Among those arrested are two airport employees. Appearing before Magistrate Deborah Quintyne in the Arima First Magistrates’ Court were Piarco Airport employees Kenraj Deesal and Dhanrajie Boodoo.

Also charged for stealing the container were Kevin Singh, Sheldon Roopchand and Nandlal Sieunarine. They are all from the Las Lomas area. The court heard that the five persons were held after a raid conducted by officers of the Organised Crime and Narcotics Unit (OCNU) on Monday morning. According to reports, the officers raided a house in El Carmen, Las Lomas at about 1:40 am where they found the container loaded with a large quantity of cocaine. All occupants of the house, four men and a woman, were arrested. The container was taken to an undisclosed location by the officers. The five accused were not called on to plead yesterday as the charge for stealing the container was laid indictably.

Bail for all five was denied by Magistrate Quintyne, who told them to reappear in the Arima Magistrates’ court tomorrow, where the matter will be called again. The charges of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking also slapped on the group of five by the arresting officers will be heard at the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court. Some 17 packets of cocaine which have an estimated street value of $12.4 million, were seized by officers during the raid at the Las Lomas house. That matter was transferred and will be called at the Chaguanas Magistrates’ Court on July 19.