In Canadian court...
Mia Rahaman charged with drugs import
Faces up to five years in prison

Stabroek News
May 23, 2003

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Miss Guyana/Universe 2002, Mia Rahaman, was remanded without bail yesterday when she appeared in a Canadian federal court charged with the importation of a controlled substance, believed to be cocaine.

She was detained early Wednesday morning at the Pearson International Airport outside Toronto where she had travelled from Georgetown via an Air Transat flight.

The Canadian Customs say they discovered seven kilogrammes of a substance believed to be cocaine with a reported street value of Cdn$1M in Rahaman's luggage and not in a baked chicken as reported in yesterday's issue. She pleaded not guilty and her next court appearance is likely to be today or early next week.

If convicted, Rahaman, as a first offender and considering the amount with which she was charged with importing, could face a prison term of between 18 months to five years and would automatically be deported at the end of her sentence. Rahaman is a Canadian landed immigrant and has a Scarborough, Toronto address. Mark Butler, Canada Customs spokesperson told Stabroek News yesterday from Toronto that the controlled substance was discovered in the false bottom and sides of her suitcase and smaller amounts in three jars of various cosmetics following a secondary inspection by the Canadian customs authorities.

Butler told Stabroek News that the primary Canadian Customs officer who interviews passengers on arrival "had suspicions" about Rahaman and sent her for a secondary inspection during which the false bottom and sides were detected when the luggage was x-rayed. The officers are trained to look for suspicious behaviour at the initial interview including signs of nervousness.

Butler also told Stabroek News that because the importation of narcotics is a federal criminal matter, Rahaman was turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police which formally laid the charge against her.

Until released on bail, Rahaman will be held at the Staplehurst Detention Center, a federal maximum-security facility, where persons charged with federal offences are held.

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