00:00Shillen Guppy is wanted in Pennsylvania in the United States to answer to 11
00:04charges of heroin and cocaine trafficking to the tune of 1 million US
00:09dollars. The charges stem from incidents in 2017 to the time of his arrest in
00:13September of 2023 at Goodwood Park. Police allegedly found a packet of
00:18cocaine estimated at 1.2 million TT dollars of firearm and ammunition in a
00:24Jeep Gladiator when they searched Guppy's home. Guppy who was fighting
00:28extradition had his habeas corpus application dismissed by the High Court
00:32in December of 2024 to which he appealed. Now the Court of Appeal has
00:37ruled in favor of the state by way of the office of the Attorney General and
00:41the Commissioner of Prisons, refusing Guppy a conditional stay of his
00:45extradition. The judgment was delivered by Justices of Appeal Mark Mohammed,
00:50Peter Rajkumar and Ronnie Budu Singh, who rejected Guppy's claims of
00:54entrapment, bad faith and undue interference with his constitutional
00:59right to family life. A statement by the A. G. S. Office outlines that the
01:04appeal court judges came to a conclusion in the unanimous decision
01:08that there were no exceptional circumstances barring his extradition.
01:13They further found that High Court Judge Ricky Rahim was reasonable and
01:17sound in his ruling in 2024. Commenting on the win, the A. G. S. Office says,
01:22quote, This ruling underscores Trinidad and Tobago's unwavering
01:26commitment to combating transnational crime and upholding the rule of law. It
01:31reaffirms the strength of our judicial system and the efficiency with which
01:35this matter was handled, concluding within just over a year in stark
01:40contrast to the prolonged extradition proceedings in other cases, end quote.
01:45The A. G. S. Office states that it is also an indication of the robust
01:49partnership between this country in the United States and what it calls,
01:53quote unquote, the ongoing fight against international drug trafficking. The A.
01:57G. S. Office says that the government will remain committed in its mission to
02:01disrupt transnational criminal networks and to ensure that those accused of
02:06serious offenses are brought to justice. Alicia Boucher TV six News.
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