By Rickie Ramdass From Trinidad Express

SURINAMESE national Edmund Quin­cy Muntslag, who was wanted in the United States, was extradited to that country from Trinidad and Tobago yesterday, to face char­ges of narcotics trafficking.

He was wanted by the US government after he, along with Dino Bouterse, the son of Suriname President Desi Bouterse, allegedly conspired to smuggle ten kilogrammes of cocaine into that country between 2011 and 2013.

A release from the Office of the Attorney General yesterday stated Muntslag, who was arrested in this country in August 2013, was handed over by local authorities to US marshalls at Piarco International Airport early yesterday morning and placed on a flight to New York.

In 2013, Bouterse was extradited to the Uni­ted States after being arrested in Panama. He pleaded guilty to the joint drug-trafficking indictment and terrorism charges last year in a United States Federal Court and was subsequently sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.

The terrorism charges were he received US$2 million to help Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah establish a South American outpost in Suriname to attack the United States, and to also provide it with weapons, including surface-to-air missiles.

AG committed to working with law enforcement

On January 8, Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar committed Muntslag to be extradited to the United States to face trial.

Her decision, however, was challenged at both the High Court and Court of Appeal in Port of Spain. On both occasions, the court ruled against Muntslag.

On July 29, AG Garvin Nicholas signed the warrant of return for his extradition after the dismissal of the matter at the Appeal Court.

The release issued by the AG’s Office stated: “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 in- ternational bodies to confront and fight the scourge of crime.”

Representing Muntslag during the extradition hearings were attorneys Keith Scot­land and Asha Watkins- Montserin while Israel Khan, Jagdeo Singh, head of the Central Authority Unit Netram Kowlessar and Kylene Deosingh represented the requesting state.

IMAGE: arrested in T&T: Edmund Muntslag

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