SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - One of the three men arrested in a large drug bust in Yellowknife last year was sentenced to one day in jail and a $4,000 fine on Nov. 19.

Deputy Judge Anne Brown said Ali Ashraf will also have to pay a $600 victims of crime surcharge and gave him four months credit for the two months he has already spent in custody.

Ashraf, 23, pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Crown prosecutor Glen Boyd said Ashraf was arrested in a silver Jeep Commander on Nov. 24, 2008. When the police searched the vehicle, they found seven ounces of marijuana under the front passenger seat. Ashraf admitted the drugs were his, Boyd said.

Ashraf's Edmonton-based lawyer, Sid Tarrabain, asked the judge to consider his client's young age and his lack of a criminal record when deciding on a sentence.

Tarrabain said Ashraf is now working full-time as an appliance technician in Fort McMurray but will need several months to pay the fine. With the Christmas season around the corner, Tarrabain said "he can do lots of overtime."

Brown said he has to pay the fine by July 30, 2010.

Two other men were also arrested when RCMP raided three downtown residences during an operation called "Project Germane." Police seized 900 grams of crack cocaine, 3.6 kilograms of marijuana, a .45-calibre semi-automatic handgun and a large amount of cash.

"None of it was his," said Tarrabain, of the money.

Tarrabain asked that some of the items seized during the bust be returned to Ashraf – included an iPod, a Toshiba laptop and a passport. He said his client agreed to forfeit the other items, including the money.

The judge agreed.

One of the other men arrested, Adrian Graves, was sentenced to two years in jail in August. The third individual, Mohamed Jomha, had a preliminary inquiry on Oct. 1 and his case will proceed to trial next year.