The five men accused of cocaine trafficking after the Batavia drug bust now have a July 7 court date, at the Bartica Magistrates’ Court.
Louis Alberto Garcia, Clint Collier, Deonarine Singh, Randolph Singh and Terry James, who were jointly charged with the offence, were on Thursday told by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that they will be travelling to Bartica on July 6 and will appear at the court on July 7.
The allegation against the jointly-charged men is that on June 9, at Batavia Island, Cuyuni River, Essequibo, they trafficked 149 kilogrammes 638 grammes of cocaine. They have all denied the charge and remain imprisoned.
The prosecution’s facts are that on the day in question, at about 12:15pm, the police, acting on information received, went to the Batavia Landing location, where they found the illegal substance in a boat that was moored there.
Police Sergeant Vishnu Hunte, who presented the prosecution’s case at the arraignment, said that the accused were the only ones at the scene at the time and were searched by the police who found nothing. Subsequent to this, however, the sergeant said that the lawmen conducted a search of the boat and found the amount of cocaine mentioned in the charge concealed in four plastic containers. Hunte stated that further checks of the boat uncovered clothing and documents belonging to the accused.
Reports are that the cocaine is valued in excess of $800 million.
