Colombian to appear in court on drug trafficking charges

A Colombian man is appearing in a Bridgetown court this morning accused of smuggling $28 million worth of cocaine and cannabis into Barbados along with high power ammunition.

David Guiza Vargas is facing 12 charges all connected to a December 23 operation by police in St Andrew which netted the drugs and ammunition. He is also charged with illegal entry into the island.

The 34-year-old man is expected in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court to answer four charges of possession, trafficking, supplying and unlawfully importing 574 kilogrammes of cocaine and four similar charges in relation to 54 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Vargas is also charged with possession and importation of 132 rounds of ammunition without a licence.

On the illegal entry charges, he is alleged to have entered the country by sea other than through a port of entry and without the permission of an immigration officer. He is being represented by Queen’s Counsel Michael Lashley. (AC)