Trini man gets nine months, boat forfeited

A Trinidad and Tobago national had been promised a stiff penalty for his actions, and he got just that when he was sentenced to nine months in prison, and had his $35,000 boat forfeited.{{more}}

Lloyd Quamina, 54, was charged with having in his possession 21,338 grams (47 pounds) of marijuana with the intent to supply. He pleaded guilty to the offence.

He was further charged with entering the country without receiving permission from immigration authorities. He also pleaded guilty to this offence.

Quamina, in court on Tuesday, October 7, 2009, explained to Chief Magistrate Sonya Young that he had been on a boat with two other men. He said that the men were fishing and the boat stopped in St. Vincent. When he came off the boat, he said, they were approached by police, the two men ran and he was arrested. According to him he was too old and weak to run.

Facts read in court state that Rapid Response Unit officers on foot patrol spotted a white pirogue at Chateaubelair. Quamina came off the boat with a large nylon sack in his hand.

Police approached Quamina who threw the sack in some bushes nearby and ran. Police ran after him, caught him and took him back to the place where the bag was thrown. The bag was opened and marijuana was found, taped in four packages.

Young, addressing Quamina, said that his story was unbelievable and she became more irate when a previous record of a drug conviction in 2005 was presented. Quamina was convicted with two other men for over 100, 000 grams of marijuana.

She charged that Quamina knew the intent of the trip, that it involved the collection of marijuana. Quamina had told Young that he hadn’t come to St. Vincent before and he knew nothing about the marijuana.

This is when Young promised Quamina a harsh sentence as she added “you were not honest with me!” When Quamina returned to court on Thursday, October 8, 2009, and was sentenced to nine months for the marijuana and three months for illegal entry. The sentences will run concurrently.

The twenty-eight foot pirogue was forfeited. Its value was estimated at $35, 000.(OS)