The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) today explained events behind the arrest of a Vigilance man with suspected cannabis and the unrest it triggered at Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).
CANU says that its officers conducted an operation on the ECD to intercept a motor vehicle. The vehicle in question drove into Buxton and evaded the officers on several occasions, including at a roadblock on the Buxton public road, CANU said.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of twelve parcels of suspected cannabis which amounted to 23.2kgs. The driver, Odearie Phillips, 25 years of Vigilance Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, was arrested.
The street value of the drugs is approximately $7 million.
CANU said that members of the public “became hostile, assaulted several officers and damaged several of the unit’s vehicles in an attempt to free Phillips who was in lawful custody, by pulling him out of CANU’s vehicle. This resulted in several shots being discharged in the air”.
Investigations are in progress.
Buxton residents set a vehicle on fire and blocked the road for hours in protest at the raid. Residents eventually left the road this afternoon.
