THE State is yet to respond to representations filed by lawyers for a man charged in relation to a shipment of cocaine allegedly sent from Brazil last year.
Businessman Shonal Sharma, 40, is charged with one count of importation of illicit drugs. His lawyers, Amrit Chand and Devanesh Sharma, have sought the dismissal of the charge before Magistrate Joseph Daurewa.
But prosecutor Bhavna Kantharia said further time was needed to assess the evidence before confirming the State’s position.
It is alleged that the consignment, addressed to Mr Sharma’s company, arrived in the country on October 25, 2025. The package, which was declared as a “smoke machine,” was flagged as suspicious after being detected by a drug detector dog during inspection.
When the package was opened, officers discovered the device labelled as a smoke machine contained a motherboard with a black cover. Upon cutting the cover open, a white powdered substance was found hidden inside.
Preliminary tests confirmed the substance to be cocaine, weighing approximately 640 grams. Following this discovery, a controlled delivery was conducted.
On October 30, a police team intercepted a vehicle at the company’s car park and arrested Mr Sharma, who was charged with importation of illicit drugs.
Mr Sharma’s bail was extended, and the case adjourned to April 23.
