Cop remanded on charge of trafficking $37.8M worth of ganja
Darius Frank, a 29-year-old policeman of Half Mile Wismar, Linden, was remanded to prison on Friday on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
It is alleged that the drug was found at Nottinghamshire, and Bosai Junction, Upper Demerara River, and has a street value of $37.8 million.
The charge was laid under Section 5 (1)(a)(i) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act Chapter 10:10.
Frank appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Wanda Fortune where the charge was read to him. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison.
The case was adjourned to April 6.
It was reported that about 03:15h on Wednesday, Police ranks left the Mackenzie Police Station to patrol the Ituni Trail and conduct searches for narcotics, firearms, ammunition and stolen articles.
During the patrol on the Ituni Trail, several vehicles were stopped and searched. At bout 10:30h, as the ranks were approaching Bosai Junction on their way to Linden, they observed a silver-grey Fielder Wagon with registration number, PZZ 2796, leaving the trail along the Ituni Road.
Police drove up alongside the motor car and allegedly observed that Frank, an interdicted Police Constable, was the driver of the car. The cops said they instructed Frank to stop the car, which he did, and as the ranks were about to exit the Force vehicle, the officer drove off at a fast rate.
The ranks then gave chase, and as they reached Nottinghamshire, the Force vehicle drove into a ditch and turned turtle, resulting in three ranks who were seated in the tray of the vehicle receiving injuries.
However, an inspector, a corporal, and two constables continued their pursuit of the car on motorcycles.
Police said they were about 20 feet away, when Frank was allegedly seen throwing bulky bags from the car into some bushes on the roadside. He then quickly entered the vehicle and was about to drive off but he was stopped.
Police then went to the area where the bags were allegedly thrown and found five large bulky bags containing transparent parcels with suspected cannabis.
The Police Constable, who was the lone occupant of the car, was arrested and escorted to the Mackenzie Police Station along with the cannabis and the car. At the station, the narcotics were weighed and amounted to 113.2 pounds which is equivalent to 51,346.6 grams.
Meanwhile, also on Wednesday at about 15:30h, Police ranks returned to Bosai Junction, through a trail where Frank, whom they arrested earlier for trafficking in narcotics, was seen exiting.
Ranks then drove about 300 metres through the said sandy trail and observed thick vegetation.
The Police ranks said they proceeded to comb through the bushes where they observed a grey bulky tarpaulin, which was opened and the ranks discovered several multi-coloured shopping bags, and brownish/creamish salt bags all containing a number of compressed leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be Cannabis sativa.
It was photographed and the ranks then took possession of the narcotics and escorted it to Mackenzie Police Station where it was weighed and amounted to 249 pounds which is equivalent to 112,900.5 grams carrying a street value of $22.5 million. (G9)