City businessman remanded on ganja charge

City Businessman Nicholas Samaroo, who was arrested during a recent raid at his East Street, North Cummingsburg home, was on Monday remanded to prisons for trafficking over two kilograms of cannabis.

Samaroo, 30, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on March 16, he had 2.030 kilograms of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

He was represented by attorney-at-law Dexter Todd, who made an application for reasonable bail on the grounds of multiple occupancy.

Todd told the court that Samaroo rented the bottom flat of his East Street home, where the alleged cannabis was found.

He further argued that Samaroo’s tenants moved out of the apartment a few days prior to the bust.

According to the lawyer, his client does not have knowledge or possession of the said narcotics.

However, the Magistrate remanded Samaroo to prison until April 1, 2022.

According to reports from Police Headquarters, on March 16, ranks from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) executed a search warrant on the Samaroo’s property.

At the time of the search, Samaroo’s wife, mother-in-law, and the wife’s 18-year-old cousin were at the scene.

They found currency in the man’s bedroom: G$2,508,370; US$75,697; SRD$4,664; EURO$6,145.00; BAJAN$19; CAD$40; T&T$171; Bs (Venezuelan) $100 and BZD$100.

A further search was conducted in the bottom flat in a locked and secured room and investigators found a quantity of “un-customed” liquor – 24 bottles Double Black; 16 bottles Johnny Walker Black; 11 bottles Jack Daniels Whisky; two bottles Merry Irish Cream Liquor;16 cases Budweiser Beer (24 bottles each); one case Red Bull Energy Drink (24 tins); and 47 boxes disposal latex gloves (100 each).

According to the police, a small blue and white cooler with the businessman’s logo was seen on top of a cupboard. Inside the cooler, ranks found a black plastic bag containing two parcels of cannabis which was wrapped with transparent plastic.

Samaroo did not face other charges in relation to the currency or liquor.