Smithfield woman granted $500,000 bail after caught with ganja

A woman from Smithfield, Berbice, has been granted bail set at $500,000 after she was caught with 345 pounds of marijuana.

On January 24, 2026, Sarafina Pitt, 32, a housewife, and Shamay Bryan, 33, a grocery shop owner, were reportedly found with approximately 345.8 pounds of cannabis in Number 10 Village, West Coast Berbice, with suspicions that the drugs were intended for trafficking. They both pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During their initial appearance at Blairmont Magistrate’s Court, before Magistrate Michelle Matthias, bail was denied due to the serious nature of the charges and the substantial amount of narcotics involved, and they were remanded to prison

However, during a second hearing on Thursday at the Fort Wellington Magistrates Court, presided over by Magistrate Tuanna Hardy, their lawyer, Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva, applied for bail, suggesting that his clients were willing to comply with any stipulated conditions.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Garfield Edwards told the court that he relied on his obligations on the first hearing, emphasising the significant quantity of narcotics involved and the frequent occurrence of such offenses. He highlighted the serious implications they could face if convicted and mentioned that the women were the sole occupants of the vehicle when the drugs were discovered.

Following this, Magistrate Hardy granted bail to Shamay of $500,000, under conditions that she submit all relevant documents and report to the nearest police station bi-weekly.

Bail was not granted to Pitt, a former officer at New Amsterdam Prison, based on her history of committing a similar offense while on bail. The 2023 matter is ongoing in the New Amsterdam Magistrates’ Court.

Pitt was further remanded to prison.

The court took into account that the vehicle involved was not registered to either woman. The prosecution has yet to provide a complete disclosure, and there is currently no trial date set. The case is adjourned until March 26, 2026, for further reports and disclosure.