Kitty man accused of trafficking $6M in ganja freed
Six months ago, Devon Gomes, a resident of Station Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts for the offence of trafficking in narcotics. On Thursday, December 8, the charge against him was dismissed by that Magistrate on the ground of insufficient evidence.
L-R: Nelvern Isaacs and Devon Gomes
Gomes was represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva.
Guyana Times had previously reported that on April 13, ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) had arrested the driver of a minibus and five passengers after 19.593 kilograms of marijuana, valued at approximately $6 million, was discovered inside the vehicle. As a result, they were all charged and admitted to $60,000 bail.
Apart from Gomes, bus driver Nelvern Isaacs, 40, of Supply, East Bank Demerara (EBD); Mervin Reddock of Lodge Housing Scheme, 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 had also been charged. This publication understands that Magistrate Latchman will rule on the fate of the other accused persons at a later date.
A quantity of marijuana concealed in pieces of sponge was found in the bus
On the day in question, 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 on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, and a subsequent search of the minibus resulted in the discovery of parcels of suspected cannabis sativa concealed in pieces of sponge, thus the six persons were arrested. (G1)
