6 get bail over marijuana found in Mahdia-bound minibus
The driver of a minibus and five passengers, who were initially charged and remanded to prison for drug trafficking, have been each released on $60,000 bail. Charged are the bus driver, Nelvern Isaacs, 40, of Supply, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Mervin Reddock of Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown; Devon Gomes of Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown; Edward Evans of Uitvlugt Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara (WCD); Keron Tyrell of Wismar, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); and Mahendra Ballsarran of North East Grove, EBD.
Gomes, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva, along with his co-accused were granted $60,000 bail. Their trial begins on June 23 at 10:00h.
On April 13, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) officers conducted an intelligence-led operation that resulted in the interception of a minibus destined for Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), carrying passengers and food supplies. The bus was stopped at Yarrowkabra village, Linden-Soesdyke Highway. A subsequent search of the minibus resulted in the discovery of parcels of suspected Cannabis sativa concealed in pieces of sponge and the arrest of six persons.
The drug had a total weight of 19.593 kilograms with a street value of approximately $6 million.