Two cousins, who were arrested after the police discovered almost 100 pounds of marijuana at a Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara apartment, were yesterday charged and remanded to prison.
The courtroom of Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul heard that on November 11, at Second Street, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, Tomica Pilgrim, 36, of Lot 9 Better Hope, East Coast Demerara and Tavis Pilgrim, 20, of Lot 12 Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, together had in their possession 43.936 kilogrammes of cannabis for trafficking.
Tomica, a health worker and Tavis, a labourer, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.
According to their lawyer, Adrian Thompson, the police found the drugs at a Second Street Turkeyen property that has more than one house. He said at the time of the raid, Tomica, who does not live at any of the houses, was present visiting her aunt.
The lawyer said Tomica was asleep in the back house when she was awakened by police, who told her that they had found a quantity of drugs in the front house. Thompson said that the drugs were not found in the presence of his client and that she had clearly denied that she lived at the residence. He said both defendants denied that the drugs were theirs as it was found in a sealed barrel on the family premises. Thompson argued that it could have been anyone’s drugs.
However, police prosecutor Hattie Anthony told the court that the narcotics were found by the police in the presence of both the defendants. She said that on the day in question, the police from the Narcotics Branch, acting on information, went to the house, where they found Tomica and Tavis. A search was conducted and the narcotics were found in a barrel in a multi-coloured shopping bag. The prosecutor said that the defendants were arrested.
The magistrate, after hearing the submissions from the defence and prosecution, remanded the cousins to prison. The case was adjourned until December 16 for the disclosure of statements.
