Man admits 3 kilo coke deal
(CNS): A 28-year-old man has been convicted of conspiring to supply up to three kilos of cocaine after he was caught in an undercover police drug operation with another local man. Camilo Naranjo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell the drugs to the undercover cops for $54,000 but the drugs were not recovered because he claimed he was never able, or intended, to supply such a large amount but had instead hoped to steal the money. However, the crown claimed that Naranjo was not only planning on supplying the large quantity of the class A drug but was a wholesaler of cocaine in Cayman and a significant player in the local illegal drug market.
Naranjo was arrested outside Calico Jack's Beach Bar in November 2010 after the police sting operation came to a head but before the drugs were supplied to the undercover officers, the court heard Wednesday. Naranjo became part of a sting operation after RCIPS drugs officer originally from the UK went undercover, posing as real estate developers to investigate the sale of cocaine in local bars.
They first met with a man called Osman Bonilla at Royal Palms, who they were aware was involved in drugs, and began buying small quantities of cocaine from him, building up trust and leading up to a half kilo purchase.
However, when the undercover cops began indicating they wanted to buy much larger quantities of drugs with the intention of trafficking to the UK, Bonilla, who was convicted and sentenced to eight years in jail last year, introduced the men to Naranjo. This introduction by Bonilla was clear evidence, the crown said, of Naranjo’s position as a more significant dealer and an indication that he was much “higher up the drug dealing chain” and a wholesaler rather than a low level street dealer.
During a number of meetings, all of which were taped by the undercover officers, Naranjo incriminated himself when he said he controlled the cocaine market in Cayman and that he had earned in excess of a half million dollars a year selling drugs. He also advised the UK cops how to smuggle as much as two kilos of cocaine on the body without getting caught using women’s stockings.
He told the officers he was able to secure significant quantities and when a deal was arranged he agreed to supply the officers with three kilos. On the day of the deal, however, suspicions were raised and when a police patrol car drove through Calico Jack’s car park Naranjo tried to move the drop location to George Town. However, in the end the cops moved in, and although he did not have possession of the drugs, Naranjo was arrested.
After various legal difficulties he eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and his case was laid out before Justice Charles Quin on Wednesday morning.
Naranjo’s defence attorney, Clyde Allen, said that his client was not a wholesaler of drugs but had over-stated his importance in the local drug market in order to con the police and had intended to steal their money. He said his claims were fanciful and, given that he was working as a waiter and living at Treasure Island, it was apparent that he was not really a major player in the illegal drug market.
Allen also noted that his client was born and bred in Cayman, where he had gone to school, but because of a difficult divorce between his parents he no longer had Caymanian status and was a Honduran national, despite never having lived there. Allen said his client had worked at Pappagallo Restaurant on and off since he was twelve years old as a result of family hardships.
Naranjo was remanded back in custody to HMP Northward, where he has been since November 2010, until 13 March, when Justice Quin is scheduled to hand down sentence. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to supply class A drugs is ten years, and given the circumstances of the crime, Allen suggested the judge’s starting point before any discounts for his plea and mitigating or aggravating factors were considered should be six years.
Related article:
Coke dealer jailed for 8 years
Category: Crime
Look folks it’s quite simple to rid Caymn of this drug issue we have. Who’s is more at fault… The seller or the user? If they really want to cut down the usage of drugs give the users just as much time as the suppliers. Think about it…. One is addicted to the $$$ and the other addicted to the high. Cut down the damand there will be no need for the supply. Start handing out 10 year sentences to people indulging in the small quantities and I bet most people get it together for fear of going to prision for a long stretch.
poster 11:53 do you know where you are geographically? Colombia the largest cocaine producer in the world , is to the south ofus so therefore we have a lot of transshipment destinations around us , getting 3 kilos of coke here is not that difficult . but this poor fool is going to prison for a longtime because he has no sense and a bigmouth, the coke was not even found ,and for the poster about drug weights any drug can be bought in grams that is usually the starting point.
Yes 16.40, I know where I am and even mentioned South America for very obvious reasons. Do you know how to read?
Peru is the largest producer. It is, unfortunately, not all fabled flake though.
How come this guy’s face and name isn't posted like Jeremy Jackson's. Yes Jeremy's actions might be wrong but spreading cocaine on these islands is much worse especially when they get into the hands of children. I say that everyone should have the right to know who the drug heads and thieves are so we know who to look out for and who keep our things even closer when these certain people come around. Post these punks faces too. It might be said it’s against their rights, but it’s more against our rights not to know who is dangerous to and in our community.
The day of the Lord is drawing near however you stand you best prepare yourselves from now be for it’s too late!
You had me right up until you went all Old Testament…the Lord didn't create this mess…so why do we expect the Lord to sort it out??
Deportation order please?
To where?? He was born and bred here! He is OUR problem!
Honduras. Where the law deems him to be from and where he would be now and have long beensince childhood if anyone could be bothered to apply our laws for the purpose they were written – to protect the Caymanian people.
Honduras. Then he will not be OUR problem. Where you are born and where you are conceived are both totally irrelevant to questions of nationality in our legal system and that of most of the commonwealth. He is a foreign national who has betrayed the society which permitted him to remain as a guest. We can withdraw our permission.
So whats the name of the local? Other class A wholesalers want to know.
Kilos? Since when did we go metric? Eight balls and ounces – keep it imperial and old school.
It's a UK/EU thing. Damned if the French didn't win that battle too. And we have degrees Celsius too. Coming here I had to remember measures I had not heard of for 15 years!
Can't blame the French for the Coke thing though..that seems South American and local (as it is everywhere now). Kind of worring, 6.6 pounds of that stuff on a small island like this. Makes you wonder what else is out there and who knows about it…I am not saying it is the case here but in many countries badly paid customs and border control people take bribes to look the other way or they or their families are threatened with death…
in many countries badly paid customs and border control people take bribes to look the other way
Or well paid Firemen..just sayin..
Not that I know much about this, but cocaine is sold by grams and kilos. Ganja on the other hand is ounces and pounds. I am uncertain how I actually know this. But ask around, you'll hear the same thing.
And ALL those bars down 7 Mile Beach are RAMPANT in the sale/purchse of cocaine, ganja, ecstasy etc. Not jsut Calico Jacks but Royal Palms, Paradise, Rackhams, etc. They've all been in the news lately about undercover operations for durg dealing.
There has been no difference between pot and coke that I have witnessed. If you want one it is a gram, if you want 28 its an ounce, if you want 16 ounces its a pound, if you want 2.2 pounds its a kilo
Thing is it is so hard to get the order right. You say "I'll have two" but at the end of two, you wish you had ordered three. And it just carries on like that and suddenly your weekend has gone.
Most of the bars you mention on 7 Mile Beach being rampant with the sale/purchase of drugs are mostly frequented by the workers in the expat community.