A Surinamese court has delivered a stern verdict in a significant drug trafficking case, sentencing a taxi driver to 26 months of unconditional imprisonment after police discovered 2.37 kilograms of cocaine concealed in his vehicle during a routine inspection at Stolkertsijver.
Presiding Magistrate Maureen Dayala handed down the sentence alongside a substantial fine of SRD 12,000 (approximately $320 USD), with a stipulation that failure to pay would result in an additional two months of detention. The judgment came after the defendant pleaded for leniency based on his financial responsibilities as a family provider.
During court proceedings, the accused revealed he had accumulated thousands of euros in debt while in French Guiana and had attempted to resolve his financial crisis by profitably selling the illicit substances. This plan unraveled dramatically when law enforcement officials intercepted his vehicle during a standard traffic control operation.
Notably, two other passengers present in the car at the time of interception were cleared of any criminal charges after investigations confirmed they had no knowledge of the concealed narcotics.
The public prosecutor emphasized throughout the hearing that personal circumstances cannot justify criminal activities. Magistrate Dayala echoed this position in her ruling, stating the defendant had consciously endangered others—including potential children—by engaging in cocaine distribution, thus warranting the full weight of the judicial sentence in accordance with the Public Prosecutor’s demands.