Three men appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Virtual Court, today charged with possession of cocaine for trafficking.
According to police reports, on April 29th an intelligence-led exercise was conducted by the Special Investigations Unit, spearheaded by Supt. Francis and coordinated by Sgt Kelly, which included officers of the Western Division. Based on information received, Sgt. Kelly boarded the MV Throne vessel and commenced a thorough search, during which, 475.9 kilogrammes of cocaine was discovered and seized.
Officers arrested the captain of the ship and 18 crew members who were all foreign nationals.
On May 12th advice was obtained and received from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Roger Gaspard SC, that the following suspects be jointly charged for trafficking in dangerous drugs,
the captain of the vessel, Shaikh Arif Noor Mohammed age 31, of, 15 Madhubhal Mill Compound Gujarati, India, his second officer Chandan Kumar Singh, age 25, of Abgila Patna Binar, and manager of the vessel, Behzat Tokgoz, age 42, of, Ankara, Turkey.
The DPP further advised that the vessel be seized as an exhibit and be subject to forfeiture as an instrumentality of the crime under the Proceeds of Crime Act, Chapter 11:27.
Section 58 of the Police Service Act will be initiated through the court to obtain an order for its disposal via sale and for funds to be deposited into an interest-bearing account pending the outcome of the substantive trafficking charge. The three men appeared before Magistrate Aden Stroude in the Port of Spain Magistrates’ Court, the matter was adjourned to Friday, May 29th, 2020.