REAL NEWS: Renzo Eduardo Sanoja, the Venezuelan national charged with possession of cocaine, has been sentenced to 18 months at His Majesty’s Prison.
Originally, Sanoja had been scheduled to appear in the All Saints Magistrate’s Court before District B Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel on Monday, October 23. Instead, he appeared on Tuesday, after reportedly having been severely beaten by his cellmate while
detained at the St. John’s Police Station.
The Police had arrested and charged Sanoja with possession of cocaine; importation of cocaine; possession with intent to transfer; and being concerned with the supply of cocaine.
He admitted his guilt and was sentenced by the magistrate to two consecutive nine-month prison sentences.
The 40-year-old Venezuelan man reportedly had ingested 907 grammes of cocaine. He was intercepted at the V.C. Bird International Airport on October 18, during a joint drug operation by the Police and Customs officers.
During his interrogation, he reportedly confessed to law- enforcement officials that he had swallowed a total of 74 cocaine pellets.He was immediately taken to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, where he subsequently expelled the illegal class A drug, which carried an estimated street value of EC$63,236.
