2 Corentyne youths remanded, allegedly caught dumping 5 lbs of ganja 

Two youths from the Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), were on Wednesday remanded after appearing in court on a charge of possession of about five pounds of cannabis.
Subhan Ali, 18, a cane harvester of Crabwood Creek, and Chotan Kumar Dasrat, 20, a technical assistant attached to Skeldon Estate, of Number 72 Village, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The charge alleged that on October 17 at Crabwood Creek, they had 2.399 kilograms (kg) of cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.
However, the prosecution and defence presented sharply contrasting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the suspected narcotics.
Defence Attorney Vinay Punwa, in an application for bail, maintained that neither of his clients had possession, custody or control of the container in which the suspected cannabis was found.
He told the court that Dasrat was driving his motor car along a street in the Crabwood Creek area while Ali was walking nearby when Police discovered the container.
According to Punwa, neither accused had any knowledge of the container or its contents, and both were prepared to contest the charge at trial.
The attorney also challenged the length of time the men had been detained before being brought before the court, arguing that they had spent 90 hours in Police custody, exceeding the 72-hour limit.
He urged the court to grant bail.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Nigel Melville opposed the application, presenting a different account of the events leading to the arrests.
Melville told the court that Dasrat had admitted in a video-recorded statement that the narcotics belonged to both accused, directly contradicting the defence’s contention that the men had no knowledge of the substance.
The prosecutor also informed the court that the case file remained incomplete and that legal advice had been sought.
According to the prosecution, Police ranks conducting a mobile patrol along the Crabwood Creek Public Road at 14:00h on October 17 observed Ali placing a brown salt bag into a motor car driven by Dasrat.
Upon noticing the Police, Dasrat allegedly drove away before throwing the bag onto the roadside.
The ranks reportedly retrieved the bag and intercepted the vehicle.
A search conducted in the presence of both men allegedly revealed three bulky parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.
The suspected narcotics were subsequently taken to the Springlands Police Station, where they were weighed in the presence of the accused and amounted to 2.399 kg.
After considering the submissions from both sides, Magistrate Hardy refused bail, citing concerns about the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence, including the reported attempt to evade Police.
Ali and Dasrat were remanded to prison, and the case will continue on November 12.