Traffic officers remanded to prison for possession of marijuana

By Royan Abrams

Two Traffic officers have been remanded to prison for possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking when they appeared at the Whim Magistrates Court on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

The officers charged are 28-year-old Bharrat Chatterpaul of Springlands, East Berbice Corentyne, and 24-year-old Delroy Fraser of Belladrum, West Coast Berbice, both of whom are attached to the Traffic Department of the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam. The officers pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by Magistrate, Charlyn Artiga.

News Room understands that the two officers were seen loitering next to a fully tinted motor car, HC 3179 owned by constable Chatterpaul when a senior officer questioned the two accused about their presence at the location since their shift were over.

According to a reliable source, the senior officer then requested the keys to the motor car but the accused refused to hand over the key. The senior officer thought the ranks were acting suspicious and therefore broke the window to the driver’s seat and open the car trunk where he found a salt bag which contained a shoulder bag.

News Room was informed that further search revealed that the shoulder bag had two parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be marijuana. The two officers were arrested and placed under close arrest where they were told of the offence committed. The drugs were later weighed in their presence and amounted to 5kg.

Both officers are expected to return to court on December 30, 2016.