Three men, allegedly caught with over four kilos of cannabis in a police sting operation, were yesterday remanded to prison after being charged with narcotics trafficking.
It is alleged that between March 3 and April 4, Leyland Nichols, Dennis Yarris and George Wharton at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara, conspired together with a person or persons unknown to traffic a narcotic, that is to say by transporting 4.772 kg of cannabis.
The three men pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
According to Prosecutor Seon Blackman, on April 4, police, acting upon information they received, set up a sting operation, where Corporal 17656 Roopnarine was engaged in a discussion with Nichols and subsequently with the other two men.
Blackman added that during these discussions, the defendants sought the assistance of the corporal, who posed as a boat captain, to transport the illegal substance from Guyana to Barbados.
Blackman noted that on the April 11, while the three men were driving along the Coldingen Public Road, they were intercepted by police ranks.
A search was carried out and a bag containing leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be cannabis, was found in the car.
Blackman objected to bail on the grounds that the men may pose a flight risk to the court as well as given the seriousness of the offence. As a result, bail was refused and the men will make their next court appearance on April 25, at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court.
