Two men were yesterday remanded to prison after they denied having 277 pounds of cannabis in their possession in a speedboat at Manarabisi Canal, East Berbice, Corentyne earlier this week.
Suraj Singh, 30, of Lot 69 Section B, No.72 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, and Mourice Vansluytman, 55, of Lot 18 Section A, No.70 Village, East Berbice Corentyne appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the No. 51 Village Magistrate’s Court.
They pleaded not guilty to the charge. Bail was refused and the matter was adjourned until October 21.
Both accused were represented by attorney Bernard Da Silva.
Singh and Vansluytman were arrested by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on Tuesday.
In a press release, CANU had said a team of officers carried out surveillance activities in several main drainage canals in the Corentyne district for two days and this led to the interception of the speedboat.
At the time, it was occupied by the two suspects and a minor.
A search was conducted on the vessel during which several parcels of suspected narcotics along with a shotgun and 16 live cartridges were unearthed.
The suspects were escorted to CANU Headquarters, where the narcotics tested positive for cannabis. It amounted to 277 pounds, CANU said.
The men are yet to be charged with illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.
According to CANU, the operation was part of the agency’s efforts to reduce the flow of narcotics being trafficked out of the Berbice River District to Suriname.
