Trafficker gets 20 years

A HIGH COURT judge yesterday issued a strong warning to drug traffickers by sentencing a Freeport man, found guilty of the crime, to 20 years in jail. 

On Tuesday, a nine member jury found Nanlal Sooknanan guilty of possession of 20 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Sooknanan was arrested and charged for the offence on April 13, 1999. Presiding in the Port-of-Spain Fifth Criminal Court yesterday, Justice Pamela Elder said the seriousness of Sooknanan’s crime warranted that he be sent to prison for 20 years with hard labour. 

Justice Elder described Sooknanan as “a small fish in a sea with big fishes” and said the severity of his sentence would serve as a warning to the “big fishes” that they would be caught and would also face the full force of the law. She added that Sooknanan was “a small fish carrying a big load”. In his plea in mitigation, Sooknanan’s attorney Leon Gokool said his client had no previous convictions and had spent the last four years in prison while the matter was before the court. Kathy-Ann Waterman-Latchoo prosecuted the matter for the State.