Woman nabbed with drug in juice box

Gailene Browne, a mother of four, may have given juice manufacturers an idea for a lucrative beverage.

Browne was on Friday, September 1, nabbed with 146 grams of cannabis at the Grenadines Wharf in Kingstown and was later charged with possession and intent to supply the controlled drug.

When she appeared at the Serious Offences Court on September 4, in front Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias, the court heard that Browne had been caught with the drug in a purple Fruta juice container.

Reports are that the Bequia resident was attempting to pass through security at the wharf when an officer stationed at the facility asked to search the two black plastic bags that she was carrying.

Both bags contained groceries and on taking the Fruta box from one of the bags, the officer found that the weight of the box was off. The juice was opened and the weed found inside.

“Officer, I duh know wah dey in the box,” Browne said at the time. However, when she appeared in court, she pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply.

When asked why she had the drug, Browne told Browne-Matthias that she had four children, ages 22, 19, 18 and 12 and she was going to sell the drug to provide for them. She said their father was in Barbados and she was the breadwinner.

The dreadlocked woman was fined EC$300 forthwith or one month in prison. She paid the fine.