“I am a Venezuelan and it is very hard back home so I decided to tek a chance with the ganja to help provide for my family,” were the words of a man before he was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $7.3 M on a narcotics trafficking charge.
Ganesh Das pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on March 9, 2019, at Hotel Nova, Cummings and Robb Streets, Georgetown, he had possession of 6.150 kilograms of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.
Facts presented by Custom Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU), Konyo Sandiford stated that on the day in question, CANU ranks conducted a search at the Hotel Nova and the marijuana was found in Das’s room under his bed. Das was then arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters where in admitted to ownership both in a written and oral statements.
In giving his reasons for being part of the illicit trade, Das said that he did it in order to support his family back home in Venezuela. However, the man’s lawyer Keoma Griffith in a plea in mitigation asked the court to take into consideration the economical hardship in Venezuela. The lawyer also added that his client did not waste the court’s time, hence the court should be lenient.
The Chief Magistrate after listening to both sides sentenced Das to four years imprisonment and fined him $7.3M.