Boat outside Hall of Justice —

A CLAXTON BAY man pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of 112.5 kilos of marijuana which was seized from a pirogue by the TT Coast Guard off the waters of Chaguaramas on November 2, 2002.

Shaffick Mohammed, 48, will be sentenced today by Madame Justice Joan Charles in the Port-of-Spain Second Criminal Court.

The pirogue “Jason” was seized together with six crocus bags and a black garbage bag filled with the drugs which came from St Vincent. At the time of the seizure, the marijuana had an estimated local street value of $675,000.

The pirogue according to the State’s case was intercepted by the Coast Guard at about 10.10 pm on November 2, 2002. Officers shouted at occupants of the boat to stop, but they sped off. A warning shot was fired by the officers and the pirogue ran into another vessel named “Stargazer.”

Mohammed and the other occupants were taken to Staubles Bay in Chaguaramas where the vessel was thoroughly searched and the drugs found. Defence attorney Ulric Skerritt pleaded on Mohammed’s behalf saying his client was more of a fool than a criminal.

Skerritt said Mohammed accompanied some fishermen out at sea after his vessel was damaged. However, instead of returning to shore, the fishermen headed for St Vincent where Mohammed was told by the fishermen that they had to “collect something.”

In St Vincent, a man placed the bags in the vessel and according to Skerritt, Mohammed knew what was taking place but stayed on the vessel because he did not want to illegally stay in St Vincent and he thought that if he remained quiet, he would be compensated.

“What Mohammed did was more stupid than anything else. He is more of a fool than a criminal because of the circumstances surrounding the possession of the narcotics. Maybe it was out of the urge to collect quick cash, he hoped it would have come from the members of the boat, that he came back to land,” said Skerritt.

Skerritt said Mohammed has been in custody for the past three years although he was granted bail. He pleaded that Mohammed should be given the opportunity to spend the latter years with his four children, whom he had “embarrassed to the max.”

State attorney Tricia Hudlin said the State’s case was not about the vessel being controlled by someone else, but about the fact that Mohammed was there and the court must be given its justice. The owner of the boat could not be determined.