Woman in court for coke on city docks

A 22-year-old woman appeared in court yesterday charged with possession of cocaine at Queen’s Wharf, Port-of-Spain. Marixia Moonesar, of Ragoonath Trace, Kelly Village, Caroni, appeared before Magistrate Andrew Stroude in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Magistrates’ Court charged with possession of 560 grammes of cocaine on Monday. The cocaine was valued at $375,000. It was alleged that Moonesar was arrested by Port Authority security officer EC Nelson as she was about to board the inter-island ferry for Tobago. In court yesterday, prosecutor acting Inspector Roodal Harilal produced 23 clear plastic bags with the cocaine, along with a boarding pass for the vessel.

Moonesar admitted having one case before the Chaguanas magistrate for trafficking in cocaine in 1997. She told the court that the case was dismissed some time ago, but the prosecution could not verify the information. Stroude informed the accused that the police need to do an Interpol tracing on her before he could entertain the issue of bail. He also ordered that Moonesar be afforded legal aid representation. The case was then adjourned to December 21.