Drug traffickers used SLM pickup truck

SURINAME When twelve defendants appeared in court on Friday on drug trafficking charges, it was mentioned that the drugs were transported in a pickup truck of Surinam Airways (SLM). Palmita W, Mario L, Steven P, Marino K, Melvin D, Eugene G, John W, Humphrey K, Pedro K, Brian D, Vinay C and Valentino S were arrested after 63 kilograms of cocaine had been found in a hidden compartment of a baggage container. A police inspector on Friday told the court that the pickup truck was never brought in the picture during the investigation because the SLM has many pickup trucks. It is not clear which one of the pickup trucks was used to smuggle the drugs but the inspector told the court that Valentino S drove a pickup truck to the house of Humphrey K. The drugs were then taken out of the pickup truck and put in another vehicle. It is not clear where the ‘transfer’ took place. The special police unit, BID, found the drugs in a hidden compartment of a baggage container. Several suspects were identified after investigators had watched the security footage. Other suspects were also identified after Humphrey K had surrendered himself to the police. He explained that other suspects had promised him to switch off the security cameras at the Johan Adolf Pengel (JAP) International Airport. The inspector explained that he saw the security footage which means that the cameras were never switched off.