BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - POLICE and Customs officials have slapped 39-year-old Shawn Duporte with charges in connection with a drug bust at the Robert Llewelyn Bradshaw International Airport earlier this week.
In a media statement late Tuesday afternoon (Dec. 13), police reported that “Officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit responded to a call for assistance from the St. Kitts and Nevis Customs and Excise Department on December 12, 2022. As a result, they visited the airport sometime after midday and the luggage of an individual who had arrived on a flight from Tortola was examined. Nine (9) tubes of toothpaste containing vegetable material suspected to be cannabis was found and taken into Police custody”.
Lawmen did not indicate in the press release how they had determined that the male was carrying the drugs, what warranted the search or whether they were tipped off by officials from Tortola.
In another statement yesterday (Dec. 14), police noted that Duporte, who is a national of St. Kitts and Nevis and resides in Tortola, was charged by both the police and the St. Kitts and Nevis Customs and Excise Department.
According to the statement, Duporte was slapped with the offences of Possession of Cannabis with Intent to Supply and Importation of Cannabis.
He was charged by Customs Officers for the offences of Submitting a False Declaration to a Customs Officer, Concealment of Goods, Importation of Restricted Items and Fraudulent Evasion with respect to the importation of a restricted item.
He however received bail in the sum of $50,000 with two sureties with conditions that he is to report to the Old Road Police Station twice per week and surrender all travel documents.
Duporte is to appear before the Basseterre Magistrate Court on February 6, 2023.
