2 men caught wrapping $1.2M worth of cocaine pellets remanded

Two men caught wrapping $1.2 million in cocaine pellets were arraigned before city Magistrate Leron Daly on Friday, charged with the offence of trafficking in narcotics.

After denying the joint charge, which stated that on March 2, 2022, at West Ruimveldt Georgetown, they had 1.084 kilogrammes of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking, 49-year-old Ron Reid and 45-year-old Nigel Dundas were both remanded to prison. The case will continue on April 18.
The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) has said that its ranks were conducting search operations at a house in the West Ruimveldt “Front Road” area when the two men were caught wrapping a quantity of pellets with cocaine.
They were arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters, where the more-than-100 pellets were weighed in their presence and amounted to 1.084 kilogrammes. According to CANU, the illicit drug, which has a local street value of $1.2 million, would be worth way more than that overseas.

Previously charged
Reid is no stranger to the drug enforcement unit. On March 2, 2015, he and his common-law wife were arrested with 70 grammes of cocaine in their possession. They were later slapped with a drug trafficking charge to which they pleaded not guilty.

It was reported that on March 2, 2015, CANU ranks went to the couple’s home. After they had knocked on the door, Reid’s wife reportedly appeared. When ranks asked her for Reid, she reportedly tried to engage them in conversation, delaying their gaining access to the house.
A rank then heard a sudden running of water inside the house, and when he stormed in, he found Reid standing in front of a sink which had four cocaine pellets inside. <<Guyana Times>> is unaware of the legal status of this matter.

Four years
In 2017, CANU had issued a wanted bulletin for Reid, after his associate, 43-year-old Julius Watkins, was intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) with 114 cocaine pellets that he had ingested.
Watkins subsequently pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to four years in prison. The following day, Reid surrendered.

The court heard that between September 12 and September 15, 2017, Watkins swallowed 114 pellets laced with a total of 960 grammes of cocaine. On the latter date, he was attempting to board an outgoing flight to Canada at the CJIA when CANU ranks noticed him acting suspiciously as he approached the scanning area. As such, Watkins, a taxi driver at the time, was questioned and taken to CANU Headquarters, where he confessed to swallowing pellets laced with cocaine. He was subsequently transported to the Woodlands Hospital, where he excreted the pills containing the illegal substance.
Watkins had sought to justify his actions to the Chief Magistrate by explaining that he was facing a financial crisis and was unable to send his children to school. As such, he said, he had taken the “job” to earn extra money. (G1)