Accused drug trafficker refused bail

A man was refused bail on drug trafficking charges yesterday after police allegedly found him with a haversack containing quantities of cocaine and marijuana.

The charge against Troy Gordon, 22, stated that on April 6, at Arau Backdam, he had 31 grammes of cocaine in his possession for the purpose of trafficking and on the same day at the same location, he had 26 grammes of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

Troy Gordon
Troy Gordon

Gordon denied both charges, which were read by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 1.

Prosecutor Bharat Mangru objected to bail. He said the police were on patrol duty at Arau when they stopped Gordon and conducted a search of the haversack he was carrying. The search uncovered the drugs mentioned in the charge, the prosecutor said.

But attorney Dexter Todd who represented Gordon contended that his client was innocent of the charges levelled against him.

Asking for reasonable bail, Todd submitted that the defendant has a fixed place of abode at Fifth Avenue Bartica, has a wife and a minor child with no criminal record.

Gordon was the lone occupant of a mining camp next to another camp that was searched. He said the drugs were found at the neighbouring camp but his client was charged.

He disputed the claim that the drug was concealed in a bag his client was carrying.

Mangru, in objecting to bail, noted the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the attorney did not identify special reasons for bail to be granted.

Bail was refused and Gordon was remanded to prison until June 15, when he will appear at the Kamarang Magistrate’s Court.