BARBADOS: Guyanese who shoplifted insecticide in immigration hot water

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 October 2016, 20:51 by Denis Chabrol

BARBADOS TODAY: Guyanese national Mohamed Kazim Khan found himself in a heap of trouble for “mistakenly” putting a small bottle of insecticide in his pocket when he went into Carters.

Not only did 44-year-old Khan, who lives at Eastlynne, St George get arrested and charged for the offence which landed him before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today, but his status in the country also got the attention of immigration officials.

According to the facts read by police prosecutor Sergeant Neville Watson, Khan was observed at the High Street, The City branch of Carters by security personnel around 10:45 a.m. on October 15, putting the insecticide in his right pants pocket.

He was then seen heading towards the exit, but was stopped. Khan consented to a search and the $24.03 item was found in his pocket and he was arrested.

“Immigration would have an interest in this accused,” Watson told the court. “Information suggests that since 2010, his status was refused really and denied.”

When it came time to explain what took place, Khan told the No.1 District ‘A’ Criminal Court presided over by Magistrate Douglas Frederick, that he was in the store but put the item in his pocket to make a telephone call, then browsed the aisle and exited the store.

“Sir, I was already outside on the road . . . I felt it [the item] . . . I turned back and say ‘oh geeze!’,” Khan sought to explain, saying that he had $60 in his pocket to “buy that same stuff”.

The Guyanese, who revealed that he had lived in Barbados for some 17 years, further explained that he wanted to buy the item to spray around his house.

However, the magistrate said: “You are a big man; you know that you don’t shop that kind of way. You don’t shop by putting things in your pocket. There are shopping carts, there are shopping baskets; you hold the thing in your hand, you don’t go past the cashier.”

“There is a little possibility that you could have forgotten it in your pocket . . . but you have more problems with immigration than you have here now.”

The magistrate then imposed a $150 fine on Khan who had to pay the money forthwith or face seven days imprisonment, saying: “You have to be careful.”

The fine was paid.