Man sentenced to 3 years in prison, fined $4M for cocaine possession

Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 January 2017, 10:50 by Derwayne Wills

Haslin O’Neil Thom, 46 years  of Ruimveldt, this morning plead guilty before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for possession of 1.5kg of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on January 14.

Thom, a construction worker and first time offender, plead guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 3 years and must pay a fine of $4.1million.

He was arrested while attempting to leave Guyana on a Dynamic Airways flight destined for John F Kennedy International Airport, New York.

The bust was made after the airport’s scanner picked up suspicious images on the screen as Thom’s luggage passed through.

The court heard Thom made an oral statement to CANU officers confessing he bought the suspected narcotics from a known person at a named location for US$4000.