– after trailing car, raiding house

Officers of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) yesterday arrested two men in a house, allegedly with a quantity of ganja, having trailed one of them there, and charged them with trafficking in narcotics.

Kwame Crosse

Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court refused bail for Kwame Crosse, a 42-year-old father of six of Lot ‘W’ Bent Street, Wortmanville and Seon Griffith, a 28-year-old taxi driver, of Lot 56 Second Street, Campbell-ville, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge. It is alleged that yesterday, at Crosse’s residence, Crosse and Griffith were found with four pounds (approximately two kilogrammes) of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Special Prosecutor Oswald Massiah stated that Griffith had been under surveillance for a while. He said that yesterday, CANU officers, acting on information received from intelligence, followed motor car HB 5869 that was at the time being driven by Griffith, since they suspected that he was transporting an illegal substance in it.

The prosecutor stated that the officers trailed Griffith along Bent Street, but stopped at a certain point as he proceeded onwards. He said that Griffith then stopped at Crosse’s residence, took out a bag from the car trunk and handed it to Crosse and that the two then entered the house.

Seon Griffith

Massiah said the officers then approached the residence, knocked several times on the door and identified themselves but Crosse and Griffith proceeded to secure the grilled door with a padlock.

The prosecutor stated that after several peaceful attempts to have the occupants of the house surrender, the officers broke down the door and entered the house where they found Griffith hiding in the toilet, while Crosse was in a room.

He said that a search was conducted in the house and the bag was discovered with the quantity of cannabis stashed in it. The two were then arrested and later charged.

Massiah said he would object to any bail application for Crosse and Griffith, stating that Griffith had given varying addresses.

However, Crosse’s lawyer Peter Hugh said he was not applying for bail for his client, but was requesting an early date for the commencement of his trial.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that both Crosse and Griffith be remanded to prison and transferred the case to Court Five for April 6.