Alleged ganja trafficker nabbed during attempt to flee police stop

Lennox Andre Herbert
Lennox Andre Herbert

Berbice resident Dern Hunte is now a remanded prisoner after being allegedly found with a large quantity of marijuana during a police stop.

Hunte, 32, of Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice was refused bail on Thursday

by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Spring-lands Magistrate Court, where he was charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

The charge against him stated that on Monday, September 9, at Dukestown, Corriverton, Corentyne, Berbice, he had in his possession 50 grammes of cannabis for the Purpose of trafficking.

It is the police’s case that lawmen on patrol duty stopped a taxi with licence HA 4115, at which point Hunte ran out of the vehicle and tried to escape. Police say a rank gave a chase and caught up with him and a subsequent search on him uncovered a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems.  Hunte was subsequently cautioned and taken to the Springlands Police Station.

Hunte pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was not represented by a lawyer, and made his own application for bail, telling the court that his mother was deceased and he was the sole caregiver for his grandmother.

But Prosecutor Althea Solomon objected, while noting that bail must be denied unless special reasons are given that are related to the offence and not the offender.

As a result, bail was refused and Hunte was remanded to prison.

The matter was transferred to the Whim Magistrate’s Court, where it will be called October 10.