A 37-year-old miner was hauled before the Bartica Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.
Sediegh Whitney Edwards along with the vegetables and ganja stuffed in the dried coconuts
Sediegh Whitney Edwards of Lot 22 Den Amstel Public Road, West Coast Demerara, denied the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Crystal Lambert.
It is alleged that on May 5 at approximately 09:15h, Edwards disembarked a vessel that transported him from Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), to the Bartica Stelling, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). The man was seen acting in a suspicious manner and the ranks requested that he visit the Bartica Police Station for a search to be conducted on his belongings.
During the search, 10 dried coconuts, along with vegetables, were found. However, upon closer inspection of the coconuts, their weight appeared to be unusual. As such, ranks shook the coconuts, but the sound of coconut water sloshing about was not detected.
This further raised suspicions and one of the coconuts was broken in the presence of the EBE resident. Marijuana was unearthed in the broken-open coconut, in which a piece of wood had been modified to plug the eye of the nut.
The others were cracked open and the results were the same. The miner was told of the offence and was arrested. The illicit drug was weighed and amounted to 2018 grams.
Magistrate Lambert placed Edwards on $300,000 bail. The case will continue on July 17, 2020.
