LOCAL investigators are gaining confidence in bringing money laundering matters to the courts following their very first conviction in April of last year and a court ordering the confiscation in October of EC$12,000 from a Babonneau resident..
Two more cases are now before the courts originating from separate police operations this month involving large sums of money in different currencies. Two Venezuelans and one St. Lucian have been slapped with charges of money laundering.
On Tuesday, AntonioAlcantara and Anthony Jaye (St. Lucian) appeared in a magistrate’s court to answer the charges . Jaye was granted bail in the sum of $18,000 while Alcantara was remanded at the Bordelais Correctional Facility.
Jaye’s condition of bail includes reporting three times a week to the Rodney Bay Police Station. He is not to apply for travel documents if he does not have any, and if he has travel documents he must surrender them to the court. He is not to leave the state.
It was on February 7 during a police operation, when the two were intercepted while travelling in a motorcar on the Dennery by-pass. In the vehicle police found US$395,650.00.
Three days later police executed a search warrant at the premises of Ricardo Jose Flores Montana, a Venezuelan national living at Rodney Heights. During that exercise, they found 10,000 Euros, US$131,720, Bolivars VEF 2,200 and .75 cents EC.
Flores Montana also appeared in court on Tuesday but was remanded until March 8.
Venezuelan Reglio Jesus Patino Reyes was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment almost a year ago. Large quantities of different currencies were found in his hotel room and within his bowels.
The cash comprised US$7,610.00, Euro 17, 950.00, Bolivars VEF 4,020.00, CNY 6 (six dollars Chinese currency) and EC$5.00. Reyes was taken to Victoria Hospital where he was given a laxative that resulted in him passing out 31 rolls of cash equivalent to Euro 14,000.00.
Babonneau resident, Cuthbert Felix aka Kilibre was arrested last year after police found in his possession 18 grams of cannabis, EC$12,000 cash in his house and two sets of cocaine one weighing 4.87 kilograms and the other 15.28 kilograms in his pig sty.
Investigators earned a conviction in the courts in that matter and had the satisfaction of seeing the cash seized by the court after proceedings ended.
