Nearly two years after she was held in Canada in a cocaine bust, former local beauty queen, Mia Rahaman has pleaded guilty to the charge of importing a controlled substance and sentenced to two years house arrest.
The Guyanese admitted to the crime on February 18 in a Canadian federal court and had her passport and travel documents seized, according to reports yesterday out of Canada. She is not allowed to travel and was ordered to do 240 hours of community service as well as seek employment.
The court further ordered that Rahaman, a first offender, must first seek permission from the authorities before leaving home.
House arrest means that Rahaman will have to remain indoors unless she has a valid reason for leaving. Whether she goes shopping or to work, Canadian authorities will monitor her activities at all times.
It was on May 21, 2003 when Rahaman was detained at the Pearson International Airport outside of Toronto with 7.5 kilogrammes of the controlled substance which was believed to have been cocaine, in the false bottom and sides of her suitcase and smaller amounts in three jars of various cosmetics. Canadian Customs had placed the street value of the drug at cdn$1 million.
She had posted cdn$5,000 (around 700,000) bail and cdn$20,000 surety several days later, and was placed in the custody of the person who put up surety.
At age 22, Rahaman was crowned Miss Guyana/ Universe 2002 and went on to represent Guyana at the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico that same year.
According to the Toronto Sun, the sentence outraged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who wanted her sent to prison.
Rahaman, the report pointed out, managed to obtain about two dozen adjournments that dragged out her court proceedings for almost two years.
"We wanted something to deter young people from smuggling drugs," Const. Arlene Flynn of the RCMP said.
Immigration officials said they'll try to revoke Rahaman's landed immigrant status in Canada. She can be deported to Guyana and not allowed to return due to the conviction.