Taxi driver sentenced to community service for marijuana possession

A 41-year-old taxi driver was sentenced to community service and fined $25,000 on Friday, after pleading guilty to a narcotics possession charge before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Nabadaningi Gobin, a resident of Charlotte Street, Bourda, Georgetown, admitted to having 17 grams of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, when he was apprehended on February 17, 2025, at Albert Street, Georgetown.
The case was presided over by Magistrate Annette Singh, who imposed the sentence following recommendations from the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, law enforcement officers received information that led to Gobin’s vehicle being searched, where they discovered leaves and seeds suspected to be cannabis. He was immediately taken into custody and later charged.
During sentencing, the prosecution proposed that Gobin complete his community service at the Brickdam Police Station, a suggestion that Magistrate Singh upheld. The Magistrate further ruled that in addition to the community service, Gobin must pay a $25,000 fine within one week, or he will face imprisonment. His community service is set to begin on February 24.
This is not Gobin’s first brush with the court system. In June 2024, he faced a similar charge for possession of a larger quantity of marijuana. At that time, the then 40-year-old labourer was arrested on April 7, 2024, after police allegedly found him in possession of 2,050 grams of marijuana at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
That case was heard before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court on June 11, 2024. Unlike his recent guilty plea, Gobin pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison pending trial.