A 24-year-old market vendor from Albouystown has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined over $1.7 million after being convicted of cocaine trafficking.

Wendez Pompey, of Hill Street, Albouystown, appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he was found guilty of possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. The sentencing follows an incident on January 9, when officers from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) intercepted Pompey on Mittleholzer Street, North Ruimveldt.

During the operation, CANU ranks stopped a minibus in which Pompey was the sole occupant. A search of the vehicle uncovered a black haversack on the front passenger seat containing a transparent, brick-like parcel. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance to be cocaine, weighing 1.1562 kilograms.

Pompey, represented by attorney Jevon Cox, initially pleaded not guilty, arguing that the drugs were not found on his person and that he was unaware of the bag’s contents. The defense claimed Pompey had just delivered puri and was returning to the minibus when confronted by officers. However, the prosecution maintained that Pompey was the only individual in the vehicle and that the illicit substance was within his reach. They also noted that Pompey did not deny knowledge of the drugs during his initial encounter with law enforcement.

This conviction is not Pompey’s first run-in with the law. In February 2024, he was arrested for possession of 27.9 grams of cannabis on the Suddie Public Road, Essequibo Coast. He pleaded guilty in that case and was fined $41,550 and sentenced to two months of community service.

Authorities continue to emphasize the serious consequences of drug trafficking, as the fight against narcotics remains a top priority for law enforcement agencies in Guyana.