Devin Sears cleared in Linden marijuana trafficking case

Former APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Devin Sears has been cleared of drug trafficking charges after a magistrate ruled that there was insufficient evidence to link him to more than 300 kilograms of marijuana found in a vehicle he was driving.

The ruling was handed down on Thursday by Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where she upheld a no-case submission presented by Sears’ attorneys, Nigel Hughes and Kiswana Jefford.

Sears had been charged following a major drug bust in August 2024, when police intercepted a minibus along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway and discovered 310.71 kilograms of marijuana concealed in several bags. At the time, Sears was driving the vehicle and was jointly charged with co-accused Albert Sandy.

During the trial, prosecutors sought to establish that Sears was aware of the narcotics because of the strong odour allegedly emanating from the bags found inside the bus.

However, under cross-examination, one of the police witnesses acknowledged that his ability to identify the scent of cannabis stemmed from specialized law enforcement training. The court found that no evidence was presented to show that Sears possessed similar training or expertise that would allow him to recognize the smell and conclude that the bags contained marijuana.

The court also considered the fact that Sandy had already accepted full responsibility for the narcotics. In a separate proceeding, Sandy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment after admitting ownership of the cannabis.

In dismissing the charge against Sears, Magistrate Liverpool found that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring him to enter a defence.

The decision brings an end to a case that attracted significant public attention due to Sears’ former role as a parliamentarian and the large quantity of narcotics involved.

Sears was subsequently discharged of the offence and is no longer before the court in relation to the matter.