US man fined EC$1,000 for cannabis possession at VC Bird Airport

A United States national has been fined EC$1,000 after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis following his arrest at V.C. Bird International Airport last weekend.

The man, Fady Aziz Saloum, 34, was stopped on March 7 after arriving on a United Airlines flight from Pennsylvania. Authorities said a drug-detection dog alerted officers to a black suitcase belonging to him during a joint operation involving the Narcotics Department, the K-9 Unit and the Customs Enforcement Unit.

A search of the luggage uncovered 23 pre-rolled cannabis joints and a bag containing a total of 56 grams of cannabis. Saloum was taken to Police Headquarters and charged with possession and importation of the drug.

He later appeared before Chief Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel. Prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to possession and withdrew the charge of importation, to which he had pleaded not guilty.

In sentencing, the magistrate said the quantity of cannabis placed the offence in a lower category and noted there were no aggravating factors. The court also considered mitigating factors, including Saloum’s cooperation with police, his previous good character, and the fact that he holds a medical cannabis card in the United States for anxiety and back pain. However, the court noted that such a card has no legal standing in Antigua and Barbuda.

Saloum was ordered to pay the EC$1,000 fine within 30 days or face 30 days in prison. The cannabis was also confiscated. The magistrate also warned travellers to familiarize themselves with the laws of countries they plan to visit.