Two Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) men were remanded to prison after they were arraigned for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking on Friday. Suraj Singh, 30, Lot 69 Section B, No 72 Village, Corentyne, and Mourice Vansluytman, 55, of Lot 18 Section A, No 70 Village, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the No 51 Village Magistrate’s Court.
The two men pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded to prison until October 21.
Singh and Vansluytman were arrested on Tuesday by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) after they were found with a quantity of marijuana and a firearm with ammunition in a boat along the Manarabisi Canal, Region Six.
It was reported that the officers intercepted the speed boat, which was occupied by two adult males and a minor.
A subsequent search of the boat was conducted in the presence of the occupants, which led to the discovery of several parcels of suspected narcotics and one shotgun with 16 live cartridges.
The two adult suspects – Singh and Vansluytman – were arrested and escorted to CANU headquarters along with the suspected narcotics and shotgun with ammunition.
The narcotics and firearm found in the accused’s boat
The narcotics tested positive for cannabis and had a total weight of 126 kilograms (277.7 pounds).
According to CANU, this operation is part of its efforts to reduce the flow of narcotics being trafficked out of the Berbice river district to Suriname. The officers carried out surveillance activities in several main drainage canals in the Corentyne district, which lasted for a period of two days.
Only last weekend, CANU agents arrested three persons including a teenager after they were busted with more than 200 pounds of marijuana during separate operations.
Suraj Singh, 30, Lot 69 Section B, No 72 Village, Corentyne, and Mourice Vansluytman, 55, of Lot 18 Section A, No 70 Village, Corentyne, appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the No 51 Village Magistrate’s Court.
