When the matter was first mentioned, each of the accused was served with the bill of indictment, which detailed the charges against them.
The presiding judge ordered that the accused be transferred to the Central Prison instead of remaining in custody at the Drug Squad, where they had initially been detained.
The accused persons are yet to enter their plea. On the following day, it was noted that the four Portuguese women were not fluent in English, and the court lacked a Portuguese interpreter.
According to the first count of aggravated drug trafficking, the accused, Vilma Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtado, Simara Nadiya Martins, Mirarg Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bejang, and Muhammed Jallow, were found in possession of 33kg, 600g of cocaine on June 29, 2024, at the Banjul International Airport, for the purpose of trafficking.
On the second and third counts, the accused were charged with dealing in prohibited drugs and conspiracy. On June 29, 2024, at Banjul International Airport, they were involved in the transportation of prohibited drugs and conspired among themselves to traffic the substances.
