Drugs handle

A Suriname goldsmith who tried to smuggle cocaine into Barbados by hiding it in the handle of his suitcase has been jailed.

However, if Bryan Desire Pollack, of Flora Willycairo No 29, Paramaribo, Suriname can pay a $15,000 fine to the District ‘C’ Magistrates’ Court soon he will be sent back to his homeland.

Failure to pay the amount will see the 42-year-old spending 18 months at HMP Dodds.

Prosecutor Station Sergeant Peter Barrow revealed that Pollack arrived by air from Trinidad on June 29 around 6: 30 p.m. He cleared immigration, collected his luggage from the conveyor belt and was approached by police who escorted him to customs. A search of his luggage found six packages of the powdered, white substance wrapped in transparent plastic in the handle of the suitcase.

He was arrested and transported to the Oistins Police Station were investigations continued. He was told of his rights and Pollack was given the opportunity through a Dutch interpreter to have an attorney-at-law, but he declined. The representative from the Suriname Consulate here was also notified of the development.

Asked by police to account for the drugs he allegedly said: “I was offered US$1,000 by a friend in Suriname to bring the cocaine to Barbados.”

He was subsequently charged for importation, possession, possession with intent to supply and trafficking of the 364 grammes of cocaine.

Today, speaking through an interpreter he told Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch that he committed crime because, “I work together with my brother with handling gold . . . . we don’t always get along, so I wanted out of the business . . . so the money was promised.”

He was then ordered to pay $5,000 forthwith on the trafficking charge or spend 18 months in prison and another $10,000 forthwith on the importation charge or the same time in prison to run concurrently. He was convicted, reprimanded and discharged on the possession offence and reprimand and discharged on the supply charge.

Putting his head down, the non-national then asked Birch, with the help of the interpreter, for “clemency for a more softer sentence”.

However, he was told that clemency was already offered.

“He has to get someone to send the money and pay the fine so he could go home. Once the money is received he will be deported,” Chief Magistrate Birch stated.