Three men nabbed with cocaine at Parika charged, remanded

Three men, who were nabbed by Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) with over two kilogrammes of cocaine were on Friday charged with drug trafficking and remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The men were identified as: Deopaul Gordeen, a 48-year-old fisherman of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo; Mohammed Insham, a 47-year-old electrician of Zeelugt North, East Bank Essequibo; and Amid Kumar, a 41-year-old machine operator of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. They faced a joint charge when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Police said that the men were found with the cocaine on July 23 last. They all denied the charges.

Gordeen was represented by attorney-at-law Damion DeSantos, while Insham and Kumar were represented by attorney-at-law Siand Dhurjon and Marcel Bobb.

CANU Prosecutor Narissa Leander told the court that on the day in question her officers conducted surveillance exercises in Parika.

The ranks allegedly observed Gordeen handing over a bulky bag to Insham, who then handed same over to Kumar. Kumar then placed it into a motor car and the defendants left the location.

CANU ranks then intercepted the car, which was driven by Insham. The motor car was searched and two brick like objects, suspected to be cocaine, were found in a lunch bag.

Prosecutor Leander told the court that Insham admitted ownership of the drug and there is surveillance footage of the handover between the men.

The prosecutor objected to the trio being granted bail on the grounds that their attorneys failed to raise sufficient reasons why they.

The Chief Magistrate remanded the men to prison and transferred the matter to the Leonora Magistrate’s Court for August 12, 2019.