By: Nicholas Bass
Narcotics officer Kemo Jaiteh, who was attached to the Banjul International Airport, testified on Thursday that the 30 blocks of cocaine uncovered at the airporton 29 June 2024 belonged to four Portuguese nationals.
Testifying before justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court, the first prosecution witness, Kemo Jaiteh, told the court that on 29th June while standing at the security port, he saw Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Miriam Maria Mendes ”suspiciously” sitting in one of the restaurants at the airport during a checkingof the Vueling Flight of Barcelona, Spain . But Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos was busy communicating on telephone, Jaiteh deduced.
According to him , Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Miriam Maria Mendes were with Portuguese passport, ”looking suspicious” without any traveling bag ,stating that the accused were only with ladies’ cross-bags.
The first prosecution witness adduced that the suspicious conduct of the accused raised suspicions for them to be tested with the PNR ,adding that after Vilmar,Ana ,Martins and Miriam were checked-in through a surveillance , the accused persons went into the departure luggage.
”I saw them going upstairs to Romich business lodge before boarding in, ”stated witness Jaiteh.
The witness, however, said that during the boarding of theVueling Flight of Barcelona, Spain,Vilmar,Ana ,Martins and Miriam, who were with ordinary Portuguese passport,boarded a VIP Van, which took them to the foot of the aircraft, stating that his team of narcotics officers pursued the VIP van up to the foot of the aircraft.
Jaiteh said after he, Babucarr Sarr, Ajara Sanneh and Lamin Seckan identified themselves to the accused, Babucarr Sarr called their supervisor Pa Modou Manneh, who instructed them to phone the airline to take the accused out of the plane.
Jaiteh said that they continued to pursue the VIP van andthey found three luggage, where they found 10 blocks of cocaine in each bag, allegedly belonging to one Modou Bojang.
Consequently, the accused Vilmar,Ana ,Martins and Miriam were arrested together with one Muhammed Jallow , Modou Bojang and Yaya K. Jatta.
According to the particulars of offence in count one, Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Miriam Maria Mendes on or about the 29th day of June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honourablecourt, had 33kg and 600g of cocaine for the purpose oftrafficking.
The particulars of count two revealed that Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, Miram Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammed Jallow on or about the 29th day of June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court were dealing in prohibited drug and were involved in the transportation of a prohibited drug.
