District Judge Maureen Dayala Wednesday sentenced nine people to jail terms ranging from five to six years after they were found guilty in the high-profile criminal case concerning the large quantity of cocaine found in the cockpit of a a state-owned Suriname Airlines (SLM) aircraft on March 6, 2024.
In delivering her judgement, the judge said that camera footage showed the suspects ‘took photos of the boxes after the truck arrived at the airport, which later turned out to contain cocaine. ‘That is an act outside regular procedures,’ she said, adding that ‘virtually all the suspects formed an essential link and played an important role’.
The prosecution had said that the case had revolved on the smuggling of approximately 593 kilograms of cocaine, which was discovered in the technical room behind the cockpit of the SLM.
The drugs were packed in 17 boxes and were found prior to a scheduled flight to Amsterdam.
The nine – A. Olenski, S. Denswil, E. Blijd, R. Towirono, G. Roberts, G. Bee, D. Plet, O. Zomer, and L. Gesius – were accused of violating the Narcotics Act, specifically for the export of a large consignment of cocaine.
Two of the accused – Denswil and Blijd, were sentenced to five years and six months in prison, as well as a SRD50,000 (One SRD=US$0.02 cent) fine. The remaining seven suspects received a prison sentence of six years and six months and a SRD50,000. Faiure to pay the fine would result in a jail term.
Following the court ruling, press judge Robert Praag told the media that the case came to light when the aircraft’s crew noticed a technical malfunction.
‘Upon inspection, 17 boxes were found under the cockpit, in a place where such goods do not belong. It later turned out that it involved more than five hundred kilos of drugs,’ said Praag, adding that the investigation into the origin and those involved lasted approximately two years. The cocaine had been placed in the SLM warehouse at the airport via a freight company that handles shipments to the Netherlands
According to Praag, the reduced sentence for two suspects can be explained by the fact that they cooperated with the investigation. They provided statements, were forthcoming, and helped identify other involved parties.