The Guyana Police Force yesterday confirmed that on Sunday a vehicle attached to the Health Department in New Amsterdam was stopped and 411 grams of suspected cannabis was discovered in it.
The driver of the vehicle who attempted to make a run for it during the stop was apprehended.
According to a statement from the GPF yesterday, on Sunday around 2 pm, police ranks from the Lewis Manor Police Outpost were conducting a Stop and Search exercise along the Number 19 Public Road when they stopped a red X-Trail motor vehicle.
“The ranks were told that the vehicle belonged to the Regional Democratic Council, New Amsterdam Health Department. On inspection, the ranks observed two … brown bulky bags in the trunk of the vehicle at which time the driver sped off in an eastern direction.”
The ranks gave chase and apprehended the driver. “A search was conducted on the motor-vehicle where the bags were found in the trunk of the car containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis sativa.”
The driver was then placed into custody and the items were taken to the Albion Police Station where the suspected cannabis was then weighed and amounted to 411 grams. It was marked, sealed in a transparent evidence bag and lodged.
The driver is expected to face charges before the end of the week, as an investigation has since been launched.
In October the Regional Health Services of Region Six sacked a driver after an ambulance, PAC 4274, was busted with chicken at the back of Number 78 Rampoor Village, Corentyne.
Stabroek News had reported that based on the initial information gathered, the driver of the ambulance was held by the investigators who made the discovery, while a guard at the Skeldon institution was also being questioned.
A source had noted that the driver claimed to have uplifted the ambulance keys from the guard at the institution. Furthermore, this newspaper was informed that the driver of the vehicle would usually have to sign before uplifting the keys but did not do so in that instance.
However, sometime after the discovery a source in the health department confirmed that the driver was fired while officials within the region all remained tightlipped about the situation.
The masterminds have not been apprehended by the police. Information available to Stabroek News has indicated that a senior regional official was behind the chicken smuggling.
That incident has been seen as severely undermining the image of the police and the region.
