$400,000 fine in Urlings drug bust

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A 39-year-old Potters man, who was held during a drug bust with nine other people two Sunday’s ago, was convicted and fined $400,000 after pleading guilty to drug trafficking.

Rawlson Howe has until 31 Dec., to pay the fine or serve a five-year prison term.

Charges against four of the men were withdrawn last week. However, yesterday when the remaining six, including Howe appeared in the St. John’s Magistrates Court, the charges were read to them again and all except Howe, pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution then withdrew the charge of possession of cannabis against Camara Swift, Derrick John, Edny Richardson, Delroy McCray and Ivanson Graham. The prosecution also withdrew the possession with intent to transfer and importation charges, against all six men.

Last week Howe pleaded guilty to possession of a .25 pistol and was convicted and fined $2,000, which he has to pay by the end of February or be jailed for three months. The magistrate ordered the firearm be confiscated.

The Office of National Drug Control and Money Laundering Policy (ONDCP) and officials from the Antigua & Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard conducted a joint operation on 14 Jan. between Darkwood and Jolly Harbour, where 613 pounds of cannabis were seized along with the firearm.

Several officers were deployed in the area while the coast guard was deployed at sea in the Jolly Harbour area.

Sometime about 12:40 a.m. a white speed boat Lady D was seen at sea about a mile from land, and minutes later, another boat with blue stripes Ocean Angel pulled up alongside it.

The occupant of Lady D began to transfer bags onto the Ocean Angel and after the transfer was completed, left heading west, while the other vessel proceeded in a southerly direction.

Both vessels were later stopped and boarded and during a search of Ocean Angel several bags were found on board containing cannabis. The gun was later found together with an empty magazine on the boat.

Michael Archibald, Howe’s lawyer told the court his client is a fisherman who had stumbled on hard times and was finding it difficult to make ends meet and after being approached to bring in the drugs, agreed. The attorney likened debt to quicksand stating, “Once it gets a hold on you it sucks you under.”

Howe had to surrender his passport and was told he could not leave the country until the monies were paid.

Both vessels are to be forfeited to the Crown.

http://www.antiguasun.com/paper/?as=...02007&ac=Local