KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) -A 19-year-old British man was remanded into custody after he was fined EC$60,000 at the Serious Offences Court in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Thursday on drug-related charges.

Warren Lee Davies of South Wales, England, pleaded guilty to three cocaine charges after the authorities said he had been arrested at the Argyle International Airport (AIA) on March 18, after 2.5 kilogrammes of the drug were found in his suitcase.

Davies, on his maiden visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines for vacation and the court was told that the police had been alerted to his arrival and kept under observation. Davies had a red-and-black carry-on suitcase and a black bag on his shoulder.

As he proceeded through immigration, at the security checkpoint after Immigration, Davies was told to open the suitcase, but did not comply. Aviation security then requested that the police conduct a search.

The suitcase was opened with a bolt-cutter in Davies’ presence, and the police said they found three taped packages and four jerseys, and on opening the taped packages, found a white substance resembling cocaine.

Davies was informed of the offences of possession of cocaine with intent to supply to another, attempting to export cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

The British visitor was then taken to the narcotics division with the exhibits, where the white substance was weighed in his presence and amounted to 2,500 grams.

An electronic interview was conducted in the presence of defence counsel Grant Connell, and Davies was subsequently arrested and charged, and he was served with copies of the charge sheets.

In mitigation, Connell said his client is a farmer and the father of one child. He said his client pleaded guilty to the charges at the first opportunity and had no prior convictions. Connell said that, in accordance with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Sentencing Guidelines, the quantity of the drug fell within category 3.

Prosecutor Renrick Cato said the value of cocaine was estimated at between EC$25,000 and EC$30,000 per kilo.

Connell suggested that Davies be given a suspended sentence and a fine, contending that it costs the state about EC$36,000 annually to maintain a prisoner. He noted that the cost excludes health expenses.

“He is England’s problem, not ours,” Connell told the court. adding “if England got rid of us as a burden, why should we take him as a burden?” in reference to political independence.

But the Chief Magistrate, Colin John, asked Connell about the practicality of Davies, a non-national, being given a suspended sentence, and concluded that a suspended sentence “is not effective”.

Cato said he agreed that a suspended sentence made no sense and suggested a custodial sentence.

The court settled on financial penalties rather than custodial penalties and ordered Davies to pay EC$20,000 forthwith for attempting to export cocaine or serve one year in prison.

Similar fines and alternative penalties were imposed on each of the other two charges.

Davies did not pay the fine and was taken to prison. He would be released if he paid the fines before the conclusion of the alternative prison sentence.