Two persons, one a clerk attached to the John Fernandes Wharf, were on Monday, June 21, charged in connection with the large ganja bust at the city port last week.
Authorities had intercepted some 393.5kg of compressed cannabis in a container at the wharf last Thursday, June 17.
Drug accused: George Burrowes
Leyland Nichols and labourer George Burrowes were remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry when they appeared before her at that Georgetown magistrate’s court. They were jointly charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Burrowes was also charged with possession of forged currency.
Burrowes, 46, of 24 B Shell Road, Kitty, Georgetown; and Nichols, 40, of 159 Curtis Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In addition, Burrowes pleaded not guilty to a second charge of possession of forged currency, which stated that on the same day he had a counterfeit US$100 bill in his possession.
In presenting the facts of the case, prosecutor Inspector Stephen Telford said that, prior to the bust, the two men allegedly met on Hadfield Street and collected payment with certain instructions. However, on the day in question the two men were apprehended by CANU officers after they attempted to break into the container to remove the 10 bags of illegal drug. It was reported that CANU ranks were given a “tip-off” and went to the house of Burrowes, where a search was conducted and the counterfeit note was found in his pocket.
Drug accused: Leyland Nichols
Defence counsel Roger Yearwood made applications for bail to be granted to his clients on the ground that this was the first offence committed by either man. Yearwood also said the men were subjected to torture, and recommended that they be hospitalised.
Yearwood argued that there were no links between the cannabis and his clients. The matter will continue on July 5, 2011.
Meanwhile, a CANU official said it was confirmed that the marijuana was placed into the container addressed to a shoe store on Regent Street when the container was in Jamaica. He said that the stevedores in Jamaica would have been in contact with the “bigger boys” in Guyana, so that the pickup would have been smooth.
He added that the initial plan was to take the drugs from the container before the businessman cleared it, but the men were caught while trying to gain entry into the container.
The official said that they are still awaiting word from Jamaican authorities on who was responsible for handling the containers, noting that information will be vital for the investigation. He said that for these traffickers to be caught, a drug ring has to be broken, which will take some time. He also added that a few names of persons of interest have been submitted to CANU, but these persons have since disappeared.
