Surinamese national extradited to the United States

Surinamese national Edmund Quincy Muntslag was extradited to the United States of America early this morning to face charges for narcotics trafficking and related offences. The exercise was spearheaded by Superintendent Mcalpin and other members of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau who handed Muntslag over to US Marshalls at the Piarco International Airport.

Muntslag alongside Dino Bouterse, son of Suriname’s former President Desi Bouterse, were accused of participating in the transportation of a suitcase with drugs from Suriname to an unnamed Caribbean island aboard a commercial flight in July 2013. Bouterse was arrested in Panama whilst Muntslag was arrested in Trinidad on August 29th 2013.

On January 8th 2015, Chief Magistrate Mrs. Marcia Ayers-Caesar sitting in the POS Eight Magistrates Court in the Extradition proceedings against Edmund Quincy Muntslag ordered that he be committed to be extradited to the USA for the offence of conspiracy to traffic in a dangerous drug, cocaine. Appeals filed by the accused’s attorneys in the High Court and the Court of Appeal were all dismissed. Upon dismissal the Warrant of Return was signed by Attorney General Garvin Nicholas on July 29th 2015.

Muntslag was represented in the courts by Keith Scotland and Asha Watkins whilst Israel Khan SC, Jagdeo Singh, Netram Kowlessar- Head of the Central Authority Unit and Kylene Deosingh, represented the requesting state, the USA.

This stands as another achievement for the Attorney General and the Central Authority in the co-ordination of efforts with their international counterparts in the fight against crime. The Attorney General is committed to working with law enforcement agencies in the Caribbean and other international bodies to confront and fight the scourge of crime.

The Central Authority has been very successful in extraditing a number of prominent wanted persons in recent times including:

1. Shazam Meighoo- Extradited to the United States of America on the 9th January 2015 to face charges of murder and other related offences.

2. Jason Anthony Nelson- Extradited to the United Kingdom on 2nd April, 2015 to face charges of murder and other related offences.

3. Kelvon Zaine Khan- Extradited to the United States of America on 10th April, 2015 to face charges of sexual offences.

4. Desmond Pavy- Extradited to St Vincent and the Grenadines on the 13th May 2015 to complete serving his jail term for drug trafficking offences.

5. Ravindranath Roopnarine- Extradited to the United States of America on 22nd May 2015 to face charges of money laundering and fraud offences.

Also, Amoa Howe a TT national was extradited to Trinidad and Tobago on 10th May 2015 to face charges of firearm and ammunition offences following a request made by the Central Authority to the United Kingdom.

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Dated:THURSDAY 6TH AUGUST, 2015.
MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
REPUBLIC OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO